


Rough Launch, Smooth Landing

by Queenbean3



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Smut, F/M, French Kissing, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Himbo Launchpad McQuack, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Light BDSM, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Romance, Roommates, Secret Relationship, Sex Talk, Sexual Fantasy, Slow Burn, Tsundere Della
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:33:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenbean3/pseuds/Queenbean3
Summary: Della and Launchpad like each other, but neither of them can say it. Della wants to do the responsible thing for once and not make a reckless decision, but Launchpad is a lot worse at keeping his feelings to himself. Sooner or later one of them is bound to break, and when they do nothing will ever be the same.Later, complications arise when Della's family begins to suspect that she's keeping secrets, and one of Launchpad's ex-girlfriends enters the picture..._______________________________________Notes: This story is set some time vaguely between "The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot" and "Moonvasion". It is also much more plot than porn. Chapter 5 is the only one with an explicit sex scene (so far).
Relationships: Della Duck/Launchpad McQuack, Launchpad McQuack/Oceanika
Comments: 52
Kudos: 104





	1. Nowhere To Go But Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Della and Launchpad are trapped in a deep hole and must pass the time until they're rescued.

While Della was on the moon she had certain expectations for when she returned to McDuck manor. All of these expectations were overturned when she actually arrived and saw how much the family had changed.

Some of these changes were easy for Della to accept. Scrooge was there but Donald was away on a long cruise. Huey, Dewey, and Louie, once just three little eggs, were now rambunctious eleven-year-old ducklings. Duckworth now haunted the mansion as a ghost and was much more annoying now that he could move through the walls. As for Mrs. Beakley it seemed like a downgrade to go from capable super spy to snarky housekeeper. 

The only faces that were truly strangers to Della were Webby and Launchpad. Della liked Webby right from the start. She reminded her of herself at that age and was exactly what she imagined her daughter would be like if she had one. Launchpad, however, was another story.

The new pilot was confusing to Della in many ways. Perhaps if their first meeting had gone better it would be different. As it was, when Launchpad cheerfully introduced himself to Della on Donald's houseboat, she was not in a good place mentally or emotionally. Her latest failures at parenting had freshly opened old wounds and made her paranoid and aggressive. Then she had to learn Scrooge had a new pilot, and that was the last straw. She almost bit Launchpad’s head off before she stormed off the boat, leaving him completely bewildered. After that neither of them quite knew how to act around each other.

Della tried her best to avoid Launchpad around the mansion, which proved difficult for a number of reasons. Not only were they living in the same house, they were doing the same job. When Della asked Scrooge about why he kept Launchpad, he replied that he was loyal, trustworthy, and cheap. He had no intention of firing him. This was especially shocking to Della because at that point she had seen just what kind of pilot Launchpad was. If Scrooge refused to fire someone who consistently destroyed his property the way Launchpad did, it meant he was never leaving. Della had no choice but to live with this state of events. Of course, that didn't mean she had to like it. Or like him.

But strangely enough she _did_ like him. And it confused her. He was such a screw up, a klutz, and a featherbrain, yet she just couldn't hate the guy. Even when he made her angry by making yet another mess he was always smiling. His life was a constant stream of failure after failure, yet it never seemed to get him down for very long. He would shrug it off and keep smiling, and that was the most frustrating part. He would smile at her while she was angry, and that would just make her even angrier.

So Della persisted in her vain attempts to avoid him, and Launchpad persisted in trying to win her over. Della was part of Scrooge's family and the mother of his best friend Dewey. He was sure there was some sweetness under that tough exterior, and he was determined to be her friend no matter what. All he needed was the perfect chance.

* * *

Launchpad's perfect chance to befriend Della came during an adventure, as most things in his life naturally did. 

Scrooge had recently come upon a map leading to the lost treasure of the notorious Captain Blackheart. According to legend one of the gems Blackheart stole was the Pearl of Wisdom, a prize coveted by treasure hunters for centuries. No one ever knew where Blackheart's trove was until by a series of coincidences the old map fell into Scrooge's hands one day. The map said the trove was located in Spain, so of course that was where Scrooge wanted to go. Instead of choosing only one pilot for the journey, Scrooge chose both Della and Launchpad to fly the plane. He reasoned that since it was such a long flight across the ocean it was wiser to bring two pilots in case one of them fell asleep at the wheel. Both of them had a history of doing so, although Della refused to admit it.

Scrooge also brought Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby along for the adventure. This gave Della the chance to avoid Launchpad by using one of the kids as a distraction. When that stopped working she gave him pointless busywork to do. He was so eager to please her that he did everything she asked without complaint. 

Launchpad unclogged the airplane toilet, washed the airplane toilet, mopped the floors after the toilet overflowed, and scrubbed it with his toothbrush. When he had finished those chores, he went back to tell Della of his progress. To his surprise the co-pilot seat where he was supposed to sit was now occupied by Dewey, and Della was happily teaching him how the plane worked.

Despite feeling slighted, Launchpad smiled as brightly as he could. “‘Scuse me, Miss Dee, I did everything you asked. Can I have a turn to fly the plane now?”

Della tensed, hands tightening around the yoke. She hadn’t expected him to finish his work so quickly. “Oh, gee, Uh...Did you wax the floor in the cargo hold?”

Launchpad’s smile fell. “Uh, no...But you said I could fly after I cleaned the toilet.”

“Well, the cargo hold needs waxing,” Della ordered. “No piloting until it’s done.”

His whole body sagged with disappointment. “Yes, ma’am,” he said glumly.

Dewey witnessed this exchange and watched as Launchpad trudged sadly away. Then he turned to Della. “Hey, mom? Why are you so mean to Launchpad?”

“Mean?” she echoed in a surprised voice. “That’s a pretty strong word. I’d rather call it ‘tough love’.”

“But he’s supposed to be helping you fly the plane,” Dewey pointed out. “How come you’ve got him doing all these random chores instead?”

She sighed heavily. She couldn’t lie to her son about this. “Look, sweetie, I know Launchpad is your friend, but he’s just not a good pilot. I don’t want him crashing my plane anymore. Me and crashing have a pretty bad history.”

He looked at her prosthetic leg and frowned. She had a point. Anyone would be sick of crashes if they lost a limb in one. “Still, can you please be nicer to him? He’s not just my friend, he’s family. I bet if you got to know him you could be friends, too.”

Della’s brows furrowed. There were other reasons why she was so aloof with Launchpad, but none of them were anything Dewey needed to know about. “I’ll be nicer to him,” she said. “But I can’t promise we’ll be friends.”

Suddenly Launchpad could be heard screaming as he thudded down the stairs to the cargo hold and crashed into a stack of crates. “I’m okay, guys!” he yelled out. “Wow, look at all these stars!”

Dewey winced as Della’s left eyelid twitched dangerously. “I’ll go check on him,” the duckling said.

* * *

Hours later the Cloudslayer landed smoothly at the airport in Almeria, Spain. From there Scrooge’s family followed Captain Blackheart’s map by Jeep. The map led them to a little town called Turrillas, and from there to the foot of the Sierra de Alhamilla mountain range. 

Once again Launchpad was sidelined while Della did all the driving. The higher they went the rougher the mountain roads became, until at last they had to park the Jeep and continue the treasure hunt on foot. While everyone else searched for the entrance to the secret cave on the map, Launchpad was stuck lugging around all their gear. Deep down he didn’t like being reduced to a pack mule, but he was more grateful to be included at all. 

After several hours of fruitless searching, the family stopped to rest. Launchpad, sweaty and breathless, gladly dumped all the gear and collapsed on a heap of boulders. No sooner had he caught his breath than Della came asking for the canteens. And then, all of a sudden, the ground under their feet crumbled. Della and Launchpad cried out in alarm as they plummeted down, down, down into a dark pit and landed in a deep pile of sand. Then there was a booming sound from above and everything went black.

Aching all over and spitting out sand, Della got up and tried to take in her surroundings. It was pitch black except for a thin crack of light high above her head. There seemed to be nothing else around but sand.

Then she heard Launchpad coughing nearby and shaking sand out of his clothes. “Wow, this stuff really gets everywhere,” he groaned. “You okay, Miss Dee?”

“I’m fine,” Della replied tersely. She popped her prosthetic leg off, shook the sand out, then plugged her leg stump back into the socket. “Where’s Scrooge and the kids?”

Before Launchpad could answer her, his phone started flashing and ringing in his back pocket. He almost dropped it as he scrambled to answer it. “Oh, hi, Mr. McDee!” he said in a cheery, relaxed tone as if he were having a casual chat with an old friend. “Yeah, we’re fine. A little sandy, but fine. How are you?”

Della dove for his phone. His hand was still gripping it when she grabbed it and pressed it to her ear. “Uncle Scrooge! We’re at the bottom of some kind of pit trap! Where are you? Are you and the kids okay?”

“We’re all here and we’re all fine,” Scrooge’s stern voice chimed in. “Listen closely. You’ve fallen down an ancient well. There’s a giant boulder blocking the opening. We can’nae budge it. Can you see any other exits down there?”

“No,” Della replied. “It’s too dark. If we only had a light—Aah!”

Something bright stung her eyes. When she opened them again she saw Launchpad holding a small flashlight. The goofy smile on his face made him look annoyingly pleased with himself. “You’re welcome!” he said cheerily.

Della scowled at him and shielded her eyes with her hands. “Shine that thing at the walls, not my face!”

He obliged and shone the light around the dark pit. “Boy, sure is deep down here. All I see is walls, walls, and more walls. Oh, hey, there’s a big black hole!”

Della looked at what he was pointing at. On one side of the pit was an old stone archway leading into a deep dark tunnel. “That’s not just any hole,” she said. “It’s an old galeria!”

Launchpad looked confused. “Gal-ah-what now?”

“ _Galeria_ ,” Huey echoed through the phone. He flipped the pages of his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook until he found the one he was looking for. “Also called a _qanat_ or _kariz_ ,” he read aloud. “An old system of water supply from a deep well in the form of a gently sloping underground channel with a series of vertical access shafts. You guys must have fallen down one of those shafts.”

“Makes sense,” Launchpad said. “But where’s all the water? It’s as dry as an empty swimming pool down here.”

“The mother well must have run out,” Della said. “Hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. By the time Blackheart got here it would have been abandoned.”

Louie, who was listening through the phone and had been quiet all this time, finally spoke up. “That’s it! Blackheart must have discovered one of the old shafts and decided to hide the Pearl of Wisdom down there!”

“Louie!” Webby scolded. “This is no time to be thinking about treasure! We have to rescue Della and Launchpad!”

“I’m not finished, Webbigail,” Louie said in a snarky tone. “The book said these galeria things have more than one access shaft. We just need to find another one. Then we can save mom and Launchpad, _and_ get the treasure.”

Della beamed with pride at how clever her little boy was. “Good thinking, Louie! Family first, treasure second!”

Scrooge’s voice came on again. “Della, we’re going to look for another shaft and come meet you down there. For now, you and Launchpad stay put.”

Della winced. The thought of being stuck at the bottom of a pit with Launchpad made her uncomfortable. Too many things could go wrong. “Couldn’t we see where this tunnel leads instead? We can find the exit and the treasure along the way.”

“And what if ye found a dead end?” Scrooge asked. “You two could be trapped down there with no food or water for days before we ever found you. I repeat, stay put.”

“But-”

_“Stay. Put.”_

Della groaned dramatically. “Uuugh! Fine!”

“Good. Now pass me to Launchpad, would ye?”

With a pout, Della released Launchpad’s arm and put the phone in his hand. “He wants to talk to you.”

Launchpad held the phone up to his ear. “What’s up, Mr. McDee?”

Scrooge spoke in a hushed tone. If one listened closely enough they would notice traces of fear in his voice. “Launchpad, m’boy, this is very important. _Don’t let Della leave that spot._ Our family just got her back from the moon. We can’t lose her again.”

“You got it, Mr. McDee,” Launchpad said determinedly. “Don’t worry about a thing! We’ll both be down here when you show up!”

“Good. I’m counting on you, Launchpad.”

At last the call ended, leaving the two pilots alone with each other.

With a surly grunt, Della plopped down on the floor and folded her arms like a sulky teenager. “Great. Now we’re stuck here with nothing to do until Scrooge comes for us. Wow! What an adventure!”

Launchpad grinned. “I know, right? We can make shadow puppets, sing songs, tell ghost stories, and…” He paused, catching Della’s scathing glare in the beam of his flashlight. “Oh, that was sarcasm. Gotcha.”

He sat down beside her and crossed his legs. Then he drummed his fingers on his knees, thinking hard. This was it. This was the perfect chance he had been waiting for. He finally had Della alone with nothing to distract them. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know her better and become friends. All he needed to do was get a conversation going.

“Sure is quiet down here," Launchpad remarked.

“Yup,” Della said dryly.

He waited for her to say more. She didn’t. He tried again.

“Just the two of us. Alone. With no one else around.”

“Yup.”

He waited again. She said nothing. He tried again.

“You know, this spooky old tunnel reminds me of that time we crashed the Sunchaser into that hill.”

“You mean _you_ crashed it. And for the millionth time, it’s called the Cloudslayer.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Wow, this was harder than Launchpad thought. He was about to try again when he heard a noise. A small, scuttling noise from the shadows. He sat up straight, fully alert. “Uh, Miss Dee? Did you hear that?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Hear what?”

There was another, louder scuttling noise.

 _“That.”_ Launchpad said. He scooted a bit closer to her. “There’s something in here with us.”

Della frowned. She had heard the noise this time. “Probably just some little burrowing animal. Like a bug, or a lizard, or a mole.”

“M-M-Mole?” Launchpad’s imagination began to run away with him. He was reminded of the shapeshifting mole monsters in the scariest movie he’d ever seen. “Maybe we should hold hands.”

She snorted. “Why? Are you scared of moles?”

He puffed himself up in an effort to look tough. “N-No! Psssh, that’s silly! A grown man, scared of— _Aaaaa! Mole monster!”_

Launchpad dropped his flashlight and clung to Della in terror, nearly crushing her in his beefy arms. He squeezed her so tight that her eyes bugged out and she could hardly breathe. The flashlight illuminated the tunnel and cast wild shadows on the wall. Then the light stopped on the ‘monster’ Launchpad was scared of.

It was a small black beetle. It stared at them with shiny black eyes. Then it scurried back into the shadows. Della glared up at Launchpad, her reddening face pressed flat against his firm pecs. 

“If you don’t let me go right now,” she growled. “I’ll give you something to be scared of.”

He released her and rubbed the back of his neck with embarrassment. “Ha ha ha…Sorry about that. Guess I’m a little jumpy.”

Even without Launchpad’s arms around her Della felt much warmer. She tugged at her scarf and undid the top button of her jacket, but she was still sweating. She was not yet ready to admit that deep down part of her had enjoyed that hug. "It’s hot down here. I wish we had some water."

"Are you thirsty? I've got a can of Pep right here!" He produced said can of Pep from a hidden pocket inside his jacket. “Ta da!”

She stared at the can in his hand as if it had appeared out of thin air. "How long was that in your pocket?"

He shrugged.

“I guess it’s better than nothing.” She took the can from him, popped the tab, and took a sip. The soda inside was warm and flat, but it was enough to quench her thirst.

Meanwhile Launchpad tried to think of another conversation topic. What did most 30-something women with children like to talk about? He thought back to everything he had ever seen on television and movies, and said the first thing that popped into his head.

“So, when’s the last time you got laid?”

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. What You Are in the Dark

“So, when’s the last time you got laid?”

Della was so shocked that she spewed Pep everywhere. As she sputtered, choked, and coughed, Launchpad patted her back to help her clear her throat. She swatted his hand away and continued her coughing fit until she could breathe again. Then she glared up at him with bloodshot eyes and cola dripping from her lower beak. 

_ "What?!”  _ she screamed.

Launchpad seemed to get shorter as he cringed away from her. “I-I-I was askin’ ya when’s the last time you--”

_ “I heard you the first time!”  _ Della snapped.

Then she paused to collect herself. She had promised Dewey she would be nicer to Launchpad from now on, and there was no way she could break a promise to one of her kids. She took a deep breath, held it for five seconds, and exhaled. Then she spoke to him again, her tone softer but no less tense. 

“Why were you asking me about… _ that?” _

Launchpad hesitated before answering her question. “Well, uh, you’ve been really stressed out ever since I met you,” he said at last. “Coming back to Earth after eleven years must be rough, especially when you’re meeting your kids for the first time. I see you working really hard every day to be a good mom. But you gotta take some time to relax now and then, y’know?”

While he spoke Della stared at him in amazement. Everything he had said was more perceptive than she had expected from a ditzy dolt like him. Maybe Dewey was right. Maybe there was more to Launchpad than met the eye. “I see. And you think getting laid is gonna help me relax?”

“Yup!” Launchpad’s sunny smile returned. Finally she wasn’t mad at him. “It’s a lot of fun! You can do some of that stuff by yourself but it’s just not the same as having a partner, y’know? Trust me, it’s real science-y stuff.”

Della continued to stare at him in total bewilderment. She never would have guessed that behind that dopey grin Scrooge’s new pilot was such a freak. He must be constantly banging to be so happy-go-lucky all the time. 

Then Della realized something. Was Launchpad propositioning her for sex? Is that why he brought it up? Heat rushed to the pit of her stomach as she considered the possibility. It would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about it. He was a very attractive duck, the most attractive she had seen in eleven years. And he was always hanging around at home and with her family, so she had plenty of opportunities. She sometimes imagined what it would be like to seduce him. It would be so easy. They could sneak off to some hidden corner of the mansion where even Beakley and Duckworth wouldn't think to look for them. Hell, they could do it right here right now and nobody else would ever have to know.

But this was neither the time nor place for that. Scrooge and the kids could show up at any moment. She had to be responsible this time. 

Della’s mouth felt dry as she answered. “Uh, Launchpad, I'm flattered,” she said nervously. “But I don’t think I should have sex with you.”

“Buh?” He was confused again. Then his eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed. “Oh! You thought I was— _ Oh!  _ No, no, that’s not what I meant!”

She frowned. “Wait, so you  _ weren’t  _ asking to have sex with me? Then why were you asking about my sex life?”

"I was making friendly conversation! I wasn’t trying to get in your pants! Honest! That’s the  _ last  _ thing I want!”

She frowned harder. “Wow, I’m that disgusting, huh?”

Poor Launchpad panicked and started babbling. “Yes! No! I mean, if  _ you _ wanted me to get in your pants, I'd be cool with it! You’re really attractive for a mother of three!”

Della’s left eye twitched. "What is  _ that  _ supposed to mean?"

He knew he should stop talking, but he could still hear himself rambling on and on. "I'm saying you don't look like you were ever pregnant! Especially not with triplets! You really lost the baby weight! That's a compliment, right? Right??"

Della's face turned bright red with rage. How dare he? How dare he make her think he was into her and then insult her like that? She splashed all the remaining Pep she had in Launchpad’s face. 

_ “You jerk!”  _ she yelled. 

Before Launchpad could say anything else Della stood up and stomped away from him. For a moment he thought she would stomp into the tunnel and leave him there alone. Instead she went to sulk in the farthest part of the pit from him—a mere six feet away. If there had been a door for her to slam she would have slammed it so hard it would shake the walls.

Launchpad stayed in his spot with cola dripping down his face and soaking into his shirt. He stared at Della’s back wondering what had just happened and what he said to make all of this go so wrong. A little negative voice in the back of his mind scolded him for saying so many stupid things. 

"I'm sorry,” he said remorsefully. “I made you mad again."

She grunted, refusing to turn around. “That’s what happens when you ask a stupid question.”

He flinched at the word ‘stupid’. “Yeah, I don’t know why I asked you that. It’s just...I never know what to say to you. So I say the wrong thing, and you get mad, and then you hate me.”

Della finally glanced over her shoulder at Launchpad. He was sitting on the ground with his head bowed and his elbows resting on his knees. He didn’t even try to dry the cola dripping from his chin and beak. She had never seen him this gloomy before. 

This wasn’t how arguments were supposed to go. They were supposed to start out hating each other, then have an adventure together, and then become best friends. But Launchpad had never hated her. All he wanted since she met him was to be her friend. 

Taking in a breath through her nose, Della turned back to face him. “I don’t hate you.”

Launchpad looked up at her through dripping wet bangs. “You don’t?”

“No, I….” 

Her heart tightened in her chest at the sight of him. She really couldn’t concentrate while he looked like a kicked puppy caught in the rain. That was her fault. And she had to fix it. Without a word she untied her blue scarf and came back to sit by his side.

To Launchpad’s surprise, she held his chin in one hand and tilted his face toward hers. His heart stuck in his throat and he could hardly breathe. “Uh, M-Miss Dee?”

Della was all business and not at all flustered. “Hold still,” she said. “Your face is all wet.” 

She used the blue scarf to gently wipe away the beads of cola from his beak and forehead, the same way she would with one of her ducklings. His cheeks burned at her touch. He never expected her to get this close to him or touch him with this much softness. He wondered if this was her way of apologizing for splashing him in the face. So he held still and closed his eyes while she dried his forehead, beak, and chin. 

After a while Della paused to check for any wetness on Launchpad’s face she had missed. Then their eyes locked. Neither of them had looked into each other’s eyes like this before. Launchpad noticed Della’s eyes were dark blue, huge and shiny with thick dark lashes. By the flashlight’s shine they seemed to be glowing. 

“You have beautiful eyes,” he said softly.

A blush stole across Della’s cheeks.  _ Beautiful _ . It had been so long since anyone called her that. It was nice.

Launchpad waited for her to pull away from him. When she didn’t, he raised one hand to cover hers. He inched his beak just a tiny bit closer to hers. She smelled nice, like airplane fuel and sweat mixed with flowery shampoo.

Della’s heart beat loudly in her ears. She couldn't tear her gaze away from those green eyes of his. Their beaks were dangerously within kissing distance. The scent of cola grew more and more intoxicating. She wondered if he would taste like cola if she kissed him.

No, bad Della. This was not the time or the place for these kinds of feelings. With great reluctance she broke their eye contact and pulled her hands away. She busied herself with squeezing out her now damp Pep-scented scarf.

“Launchpad, I....” She stopped, unable to complete her sentence. 

_ I’m sorry,  _ she wanted to say,  _ I like you too much and I can’t ever tell you.  _

A sudden buzzing noise broke the tension. With a start, Launchpad yanked his phone out of his pocket and answered it. “Mr. McDee!” he said brightly. “I knew you’d call me back! How are you and the kids doing?”

“No time to chat!” Scrooge’s cranky Scottish voice said. “We’re looking for you and Della, but there’s too many tunnels! We need you to make some noise so we can--”

Static, then silence. The connection was gone.

“Hello?” Launchpad said, becoming frantic. “Hello? Hello, Mr. McDee?! Oh no, my phone just died!”

“Hey, hey!” Della interrupted. “Focus, L.P.! What’s the last thing Uncle Scrooge said before the phone died?”

“H-He said we gotta make some noise so he can find us. B-But what kind of noise should we make? How loud do we need to be?? Gah, I’m too nervous to think!”

Della sighed. She caught Launchpad by his jacket and clamped a hand on his beak. “I have an idea. But I’m gonna need you to keep quiet for a minute. Can you do that for me?”

Launchpad could only nod in response.

Della released his beak, took a step back, and breathed in deeply to compose herself. Then she began to sing. Her clear, peaceful voice echoed in the pit and in the tunnel. It was a song she used to sing to herself on the moon when she needed comfort, a song she hoped her boys would know when they heard it, and hopefully it would get Launchpad to calm down as well.

> Look to the stars, my darling baby boys
> 
> Life is strange and vast, filled with wonders and joys
> 
> Face each new sun with eyes clear and true
> 
> Unafraid of the unknown because I’ll face it all with you

Launchpad’s eyes grew wide with amazement. He had never heard Della sing before, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. “Wow…” he murmured reverently. “You sing just like an angel.”

The compliment caught her by surprise. “W-Well, I don't know about that. Do you think Scrooge heard?”

Before he could answer her, the ground beneath them began to rumble and shake. The walls shook above them and rained a light shower of dust and sand on their heads. Then they heard an odd groaning, slithering sound echoing from within the black tunnel.

Instinctively Launchpad reached out and hugged Della close to his chest. This time she clung to him as well, fully believing this was the end. Her mind raced with all her regrets for the past and the future. There were so many adventures she hadn’t gotten to have, so many lands never traveled to, discoveries that would never be made, and treasures never found. She never reunited with her brother or her cousins, and she would never get to see her sons grow to adulthood. And lastly, she had never found true love.

However, the rumbling wasn’t from an earthquake. It was something far stranger. Suddenly a huge wormlike monster burst out of the tunnel in a cloud of dust, and entered the pit with Della and Launchpad. They both screamed in fear, thinking the monster was here to swallow them whole. But when the creature came to a stop they saw an old duck in a top hat and four colorfully clothed ducklings seated comfortably on its back.

“Whoa, old girl!” Scrooge said, patting the huge worm on its side as if it were an enormous horse. “That’ll do, ya big beastie!”

Della and Launchpad stood frozen in place with their arms around each other and their eyes as big as dinner plates. “Buh?” they said in unison

“Hey, look!” Dewey exclaimed. “It’s mom and Launchpad!”

With a chorus of excited whoops, the triplets jumped down from the giant worm’s back and dog-piled on top of the two adults. Launchpad and Della were knocked flat on the ground, only to be flattened again when Webby flopped down on the pile with them.

“Kids!” Della cried, hugging them as tight as she could. “I’m so glad to see all of you!”

“Little buddies!” Launchpad cried, tears of joy in his eyes. Even with all these ducks on top of him he managed to sit up and squeeze them all in a big bear hug. “You’re alive! We’re all alive! Unless we died and this is heaven!”

“Relax, Launchpad, nobody’s dead,” Scrooge replied dryly. “Lucky for us we found this giant earthworm, eh? They’re completely blind and navigate these old tunnels by sensing sonic vibrations. Della’s singing led it straight here.”

“I named it Juanita!” Webby chimed in. “We’re best friends now.”

Huey was so excited he was practically vibrating. “You guys aren’t gonna  _ believe  _ the time we had on the way here! We discovered an underground city! A whole civilization previously unknown to science!”

“There were traps and monsters and waterfalls of lava!” Dewey added. “I almost got eaten by a magma minotaur!”

“And best of all, we found the Pearl of Wisdom!” Louie produced the eponymous pearl from his hoodie's front pocket, which was the size of a grapefruit and sparkling in the darkness like a miniature sun.

Hearing her boys’ exciting stories, Della was simultaneously impressed and disappointed that she hadn’t been there with them. “Wow, how did you guys do all of that so fast? We were only separated for about twenty minutes.”

“Twenty-two minutes, actually,” Huey corrected. “That’s pretty typical for us. On a good day it’ll be twice that long.”

“Alright, that’s enough dilly dallying,” Scrooge announced. “All aboard the giant worm and off to the surface!”

Despite the giant worm’s size the ducks all had to sit in a single file row. Scrooge was at the front with the four kids lined up behind him, and Della was right behind them. That gave Launchpad nowhere to sit but behind Della, and nothing to hold onto but her tiny waist. It was more than a little awkward because that put his hands right under her bust and her bottom right in his lap. Both of them blushed at how intimate this position was for both of them.

"Onwards and upwards, Juanita!” Scrooge commanded.

The worm then surged forward, causing Launchpad’s arms to tighten reflexively around Della’s waist. That pushed her backside into his crotch, and that sent Della’s mind straight into the gutter. An image of both of them naked and sweaty in the heat of passion flashed before her eyes. 

Terrified of her own thoughts, she instinctively jabbed him in the ribs and gave a warning growl. He became flustered, evidently having similar thoughts. He loosened his grip on her as much as he could without letting go.

* * *

_ To be continued... _


	3. Dirty Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they were roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to get steamy in this chapter. I'm bumping the rating up to M, and by next chapter I might bump it up higher.

Soon the giant worm carried the ducks up through an access shaft that had not been sealed off by boulders. A flash of sunlight stung their sensitive eyes before fading into the familiar blue sky they had all missed. Della and Launchpad had never been more relieved to see daylight as they were in that moment.

As Scrooge and the kids bade farewell to their new giant worm friend, Della and Launchpad stood at an awkward distance from each other. Things had changed between them, but they weren’t sure how they had changed or where they currently stood with each other. Launchpad was especially confused. Della had been trying to tell him something before they were interrupted, and he had no idea what it was.

Before he could ask her any questions, Scrooge and the kids rushed them back to the Jeep. They had made plans to go back down the mountain to the town of Turrillas, where they could eat, bathe, and spend the night at a local hotel. Launchpad wasn’t quite brave enough to ask Della to let him drive, and Della wasn’t feeling brave enough to say anything to him at all.

The one-star hotel Scrooge checked them into was more of a shabby old apartment building. The rooms were so cheap that he paid for three of them, only to discover that they were cheap because they were tiny. The largest had only enough space in each room for two skinny single size beds, and the bathrooms weren’t any bigger.

Scrooge made a point of getting a room all to himself, claiming he was unable to sleep with any roommates, and since he was paying for everything no one could challenge him. The triplets and Webby unanimously decided to share one room with each other and make the night a slumber party. That left Della and Launchpad to share the remaining room, a majority vote neither of them was comfortable with.

Upon entering their room, Della was not at all impressed with the cramped accommodations. The two beds were both skinny single size mattresses, the pea soup colored paint was peeling, and the retro patterned blankets, curtains, and carpets gave off a musty sort of smell. One dingy little window gave them a view of the back alley outside. The ambience would have had a kitschy sort of charm if it had been better maintained.

Worst of all there was barely any floor space. For a duck as big as Launchpad this posed a problem. He squeezed himself in after Della with their duffel bags. He had to bend down to fit through the low door frame, and once inside he couldn’t move without bonking into something. As he tried to maneuver his way to the beds he stepped on Della’s one flesh foot. She shrieked at his full weight coming down on her toes, which startled him into losing his balance. They both went crashing down on a bed together with a heavy _WHUMP_.

She angrily pushed him off of her and onto the floor with a _thud_. “Watch it, you big lummox! You’re like a bull in a china shop!”

He frowned with embarrassment and rubbed his sore bottom. “Sorry, Miss Dee, I couldn’t see you.”

Della made herself close her eyes and take a deep calming breath. She couldn’t lose her temper again. This arrangement was just for one night. She could handle this. All she had to do was take charge and keep calm. “Listen, L.P. Since we’re spending the night together, we need to lay down some rules. One, don’t touch my stuff. Two, stay on your side of the room. Three, lights out at 10 PM.”

“That all sounds fair,” Launchpad said. “What about the bathroom?”

“I get first dibs on the bathroom,” she declared as she waltzed past him. “In fact, I’m gonna take a bath right now.”

“Hey, no fair! I wanna take shower before dinner!”

“Ladies first,” she called out just before she closed the door.

“Dang it,” he muttered. He sank down on his creaky little bed and pouted. “I wish _I_ was a lady.”

* * *

Scrooge had been considerate enough to let Della stay in a suite with a (small) bathtub. She couldn’t bathe with her metal leg attached, and standing up on a slippery surface was difficult. It was much easier to wash herself sitting down. 

While the tub filled with water Della sat on the toilet lid and removed her prosthesis. She propped it carefully against the bidet (it was a Spanish bathroom, so of course there was a bidet). Then she stripped off her dirty clothes and lowered herself into the warm water. She sighed with contentment as she sank into the frothy scented suds up to her chin. This was exactly what she needed after the crazy day she just had. No distractions, no dangers, and no Launchpad. 

Unfortunately, Launchpad was all she could think about. After everything that happened with him today she was no longer sure how she felt about him. He was the most confusing person she had ever met. He was annoying, saddening, endearing, even arousing. And he always had a way of pushing her buttons.

_“So, when’s the last time you got laid?”_

That question had made Della so angry. Not just because Launchpad had dared to ask it, but because the answer was so painful. The truth was she hadn’t had sex since before Huey, Dewey, and Louie were born. Not since that fateful night she spent with…

No. Della wouldn’t think about that. She needed to decide what to do about Launchpad. Fate kept pushing them together and it made her feelings about him such a mess. One minute she wanted to punch him, the next she wanted to kiss him. She had even come close to doing the latter today.

A kiss wouldn’t be so bad, would it? It wasn’t as serious as sex and it felt so good. Della closed her eyes and imagined what it would feel like to kiss Launchpad. Would he be shy or confident? Would he make the first move or would he let her take charge? Would it lead to even more forms of physical intimacy?

Della must have been more horny than she thought because her fantasy became incredibly vivid. When she opened her eyes a familiar redhead duck with a lantern jaw and broad shoulders appeared in the water across from her. He was smiling the most wholesome of boy-next-door smiles as he sat there nude, his chiseled bare shoulders and chest visible above the dense layer of soap bubbles.

“Hiya, Miss Dee!” he said, still wearing that annoyingly sunny smile.

Della’s face flushed deep red. She pulled both knees up to her chest and covered her small breasts with both hands. “What are _you_ doing here?!”

He shrugged. “I dunno. This is _your_ fantasy. But if I were to guess, I’d say you have some feelings about the Real Launchpad you’re not ready to face in real life.”

She growled and flung a bar of soap at the Dream Launchpad. It passed through his head harmlessly and smacked into the opposite wall. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?!”

“I can’t leave until you’re done with me.” With a chuckle he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head upward until her eyes met his brilliant green gaze. His sunny schoolboy smile never wavered. “Now where were we? You were thinking about kissing Launchpad.”

Della couldn’t speak or look away, her mind and her libido at war with one another. While Dream Launchpad held eye contact with her he snaked one of his big hands around her waist and slowly pulled her petite body toward him. Soon she was seated in his lap and keenly aware that he was as naked as she was. Then he brought his face closer and closer until their beaks were almost touching.

Panicking, Della pushed him away and scooted back against the wall. “H-Hey!! Not so fast!”

Dream Launchpad pouted at her with the same puppy eyes as the original. “But you like Launchpad. Why do you keep pushing him away?”

She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze. “I don’t know.” 

“He likes you, too. A lot.” Dream Launchpad smirked smugly. “He’d be glad to do even more than kiss you. All you gotta do is ask.”

A long pause. “No,” Della said at last. “It’s too dangerous.”

He frowned in disapproval. “Since when is Della Duck scared of a little danger?”

“I’m _not_ scared,” she insisted. “It’s just a _really_ bad idea. He’d crash the bed the same way he crashes everything else.”

Dream Launchpad clicked his tongue and shook his head. “That’s not the real reason, is it?”

Della became annoyed. This figment of her imagination was getting on her nerves just like the real thing. “He works for Scrooge,” she said. “He could get fired for sleeping with me.”

Dream Launchpad shook his head once more. “Nope. Try again.”

Her agitation increased. She was starting to run out of excuses. “Th-The kids could find out. I can’t risk pushing them away again.”

“Come on, dig deeper. You’re getting warmer.”

“I can’t get pregnant right now. Look how easy it happened last time!”

He brought his beak down to her ear, his whispery voice sending shivers down her spine. “Oh, so close. Keep going.”

Her heart froze. She hugged herself tightly and squeezed her eyes shut. “No...No. Don’t make me remember that. It hurts.”

“Think. What happened last time? Who were you with?”

Suddenly Dream Launchpad was gone and in his place was a completely different drake. While he had the same white feathers and red hair, he was of a more average stature with an ordinary duck bill and a flat top haircut. Della’s blood ran cold and her stomach sank like a stone. She knew this drake all too well. There was no way she could ever forget his face. She saw him every day in the faces of her sons.

_Knock knock knock_

“Miss Dee? Are you okay? You’ve been in there a long time.”

The real Launchpad’s voice instantly jolted Della back to reality, wheezing and gasping for breath. The fantasy was over and she was alone in the empty bathroom once again. Her ragged breathing and racing heartbeat were the only sounds.

_Knock knock knock_

“Hello? Did you fall asleep in the tub?”

And that was the end of Della’s alone time. “I’m fine!” she called back. “I’m almost done, just give me a minute!”

She scrambled to get out of the tub, but in her rush she forgot she wasn’t wearing her prosthesis. She lost her balance and slipped on her way out, landing sprawled out on the bathroom floor with a wet _SPLAT_.

“Ow!! Stupid leg! Stupid slippery floor!”

Outside the door Launchpad heard her noises with concern. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

All he heard in reply was Della cursing and sputtering angrily. After some more sounds of thumping, clanking, and cursing, a dripping wet Della opened the bathroom door wearing a towel over her body, another towel wrapped around her hair, and a grumpy look on her face.

“Go take your turn,” she growled. “I need to dry off and get dressed.”

She stomped past Launchpad, not noticing that the back of her towel was wide open and her tail was sticking out. He was instantly transfixed by the sight of her tail. He had never seen it before and it fascinated him. The butt it was attached to was also one of the cutest he ever saw.

Della didn’t notice his attention until after she had taken a seat on the bed and was busy drying her hair with her towel. Then she saw Launchpad was gawking at her and frowned. “What are you looking at?”

“N-Nothing!” he said quickly. “I-I’m gonna shower now! Bye!” He bonked his head on the doorframe, then ducked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Once he was alone, Launchpad looked down at the bulge in his pants and sighed. This was a problem. He’d been having trouble keeping his thoughts under control earlier when they were riding on the giant worm. Now just when things were starting to settle down he had to get an excellent view of Della’s naked ass and get horny all over again.

He was grateful she hadn’t noticed his bulge, but he had to take care of it while he was alone or else he’d be in big trouble. He stripped down quickly, turned on the cold water, and stepped in the shower. Thankfully his body heat went down and so did his lust. However he couldn’t stop thinking of wet naked Della in her towel.

He closed his eyes and pictured her without the towel. She really did have a cute figure; a pear-shaped body with narrow shoulders with a wider waist and hips. Her bust was small but that wasn’t a turnoff for him in any way. He had been with many partners in the past who had no breasts at all. What he liked best was her butt. It was a nice and round shape and the perfect size to fit in his hands. 

Launchpad sniggered to himself at the mental image of Della’s butt and tail. Maybe she was the type whose tail got wiggly when she was horny. If it wagged hard enough her rear would jiggle like a bowl of pudding. He would give anything to see a show like that.

“What are you giggling about, buster?”

His eyes snapped open to see a wet, naked Della standing in the shower with him. She looked exactly like he imagined, right down to the adorably grumpy look on her face.

With a yelp of surprise, Launchpad covered his crotch with both hands. “M-Miss Dee! W-What are you doing in here?!”

She rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hip. “Relax, L.P. I’m not the real Della, I’m just a figment of your imagination.”

Launchpad felt both relieved and disappointed. “Oh. That’s good news...I think. Are you here because I was thinking about her?”

“Yep, but your fantasy is all wrong.” Dream Della frowned and folded her arms over her small bust. “How do you expect this to end? Are you gonna give Della a wild ride and then ditch her? Just like everyone else you’ve ever dated?”

His heart twisted inside his chest. She had struck one of his deepest insecurities. “No! No, it’s not like that! I care about her!”

“Oh, really?” 

Dream Della’s form became unstable as she shifted into the shapes of Launchpad’s past lovers. First she was a tall black-haired female duck with an hourglass figure, then a red haired merduck with a golden tail, a stocky Viking shield maiden, an androgynous wereduck, a clone of himself, and a glowing cloud of energy. Each one of them wore an expression of disdain. 

“Over and over again, one after the other, you loved them and left them. That’s always been your way. Why is this time any different?”

Launchpad’s stomach turned to lead. “It wasn't always like that! Sometimes they left me first! Neither one of use was ready for a commitment!”

“Exactly.” Dream Della jabbed a finger at his chest. “You have no experience with long term relationships, and that’s exactly what Della needs. She’s a single mother. She needs a partner who’s in it for the long haul, and that’s not you.”

His big shoulders sagged and his head drooped. Red bangs dripped in his sad eyes, disguising unshed tears. "I...I know. I've always known. I'm not good enough for her."

“As long as you keep thinking that, that’s all you’ll ever be.”

* * *

Meanwhile in the bedroom Della had dried off and changed into a clean set of clothes. She was now sitting on the edge of her bed cleaning the sand out of her prosthesis. She had also turned on the TV to drown out her troubled thoughts. To her surprise there was a Castillian Spanish dub of the popular reality show _Ottoman Empire_. She normally didn’t enjoy this sort of television but for now it was just the distraction she needed.

Unfortunately it didn’t last long enough. Soon the door to the bathroom opened and Della heard a _bonk_ as Launchpad hit his head on the doorframe yet again. She glanced up without thinking and froze instantly, her beak falling open in awe. Launchpad was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, bare-chested and dripping wet, and built like a marble sculpture. His white feathers smoothed out most of his muscle definition, giving him a sleek streamlined look. His sopping red locks clung to his forehead and the nape of his neck. He was more beautiful than she could have imagined and she wanted him more than ever.

Launchpad, totally oblivious to her state of mind, pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes and smiled sunnily at Della. He wanted her to think everything was fine and not guess how distraught he had been moments ago. 

“Feels good to be clean again!” he said brightly.

Della’s open mouth was becoming uncomfortably dry. “Uh huh…”

Her eyes remained glued to his body as he strolled to his bed and bent down to open his duffel bag. It took a Storkulean effort for her to wrench her eyes off him and bring her thoughts back under control. This was dangerous. She had to get out of the room before anything else happened.

Della popped her stump back into its socket and stood up, kept her eyes down, and started to make her way to the door. She bumped into something big, warm and wet and found herself with her beak pressed into Launchpad’s bare chest. When she looked up she saw he was just as surprised and flustered as she was.

She had to squeeze her eyes closed and all but yelled at him. “Let me through! I’m going downstairs!”

“O-Oh sorry!” He did his best to make room so she could squeeze past him.

“Come down when you’re dressed,” she said stiffly. “We’re meeting Scrooge and the kids for dinner at seven.”

“R-Right. Dinner at seven. Got it.”

Just before Della left the room she peeked over her shoulder one more time. The last thing she saw was Launchpad bending over his duffel bag. His towel had slipped down his rump and his tail feathers were poking out.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. The Promise

Dinner that night was an awkward affair. 

As was the custom in Spain, none of the restaurants were open for dinner until nine o’clock. Scrooge refused to wait that long to eat, so he led the family to a little hole-in-the-wall place that was serving tapas. The menu had far too much fish for Della’s liking but Launchpad had no complaints.

While Scrooge and the children regaled them with the thrilling details of their adventures in the lost underground kingdom, Della and Launchpad both had to pretend they weren’t growing more and more attracted to each other. Neither one of them wanted to think about how they had seen each other half naked in their hotel room earlier, or wonder how on earth they were going to sleep that night knowing the other was so close. So they did their best to listen to the story and not think about anything else.

“And that’s how I narrowly escaped from the magma minotaur!” Dewey proclaimed, standing on his chair and brandishing his spoon like a sword.

Scrooge placed a hand on the duckling’s head and gently pushed him back into his seat. “Thank you, Dewey, that’s enough theatrics for one evening. Finish your bacalao, I’m paying good money for it.” He glanced over at Della and Launchpad. “So, how did you two pass the time while you were waiting for us?”

Della was distractedly stirring her gazpacho. Launchpad was stuffing his face with olives. They both froze like two deers about to be hit by a car. What could they say to that?

“Nothing!” Della said quickly. “We did absolutely nothing!”

“Mhmmm!” Launchpad said with his mouth full of food. “Nuffin’!”

Scrooge arched an eyebrow. They were behaving very suspiciously. “Really? Nothing at all?”

They looked at each other, then looked away in embarrassment. 

Louie was the next to notice that something was off. “Why are you guys acting so weird?”

“Weird?” Della echoed. She put on a smile and attempted to look relaxed. “We’re not being weird! Everything is fine! Right, L.P.?”

Launchpad nodded his head up and down. His mouth was too full for him to speak, so instead he gave two thumbs up. 

Louie remained suspicious. “You don’t _look_ like you’re fine. You’ve both been acting weird since we picked you up. Mom’s even got her twitchy eye again.”

“No, I don’t!” Della denied, her left eye spasming uncontrollably like it always did when she was stressed. “Why does everyone keep saying I have a twitchy eye?”

Scrooge shrugged his shoulders. “They’re probably just upset because they missed out on the adventure today.”

“I don’t buy it,” Louie said. “Something happened with those two down there. Something they can’t talk about.”

Launchpad started sweating. He grabbed a large handful of olives and stuffed them into his mouth all at once. Maybe if he kept eating Louie would stop asking so many questions. But his plan went horribly wrong. One big olive lodged itself in his throat, cutting off his air supply. He tried to cough but nothing came out. Just a pitiful squeaky sound.

Della, who was sitting directly across from him, heard the noise. “Launchpad? What’s wrong?”

His eyes watered and his cheeks turned blue. He thumped his chest with one fist to loosen the olive, but it wouldn’t budge. All he could do was clutch his throat and make strangled gasping noises.

She connected the dots. “Are you choking?”

Launchpad nodded rapidly.

“He’s choking!” she cried, jumping to her feet. “Everybody stand back!” 

Della vaulted over the table, tipping over several glasses and knocking Scrooge’s hat off his head. She landed behind Launchpad’s chair and slammed the heel of her right hand against his back, squarely between his shoulder blades. The blow caused Launchpad’s hat to fly off and land in Webby’s patatas bravas.

“Curse me kilts!” Scrooge complained. He picked up his hat off the floor and frowned. “Della! Have you gone mad?”

Huey recognized the technique Della was using. “She’s saving Launchpad! She’s trying to dislodge the foreign object from his throat!”

“He’s turning purple!” Webby shouted. “Cool!”

“Aaah!” Dewey screamed. “Hit him harder, mom!” 

Della gave Launchpad another four strong back blows, but it wasn’t enough. His face was still blue and he was still struggling to breathe. She seized the back of his jacket, hauled him out of his chair with a clatter of dishes and silverware, and brought him to a standing position. Then she prepared to use the Heimlich maneuver on him. She stood behind him, placed one leg between his, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pulled her fist into his abdomen.

Launchpad’s eyes bugged out and his feet floated off the ground with each of her thrusts. She repeated her thrusting until at last, on the fourth thrust, a huge black olive went shooting out of his gaping mouth. It soared across the dining room so fast that it crashed through a window.

At last Launchpad was able to breathe. He sucked in a huge breath and sank to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Della supported his upper body carefully as he took more deep, shuddering breaths, his face gradually returning to its normal color.

“Can you hear me, L.P.?” she asked, worriedly cupping his face in one hand. “Stay with me big guy! Let me know you’re okay!”

Launchpad’s mind was hazy and his vision was blurry. The only face he could see clearly was Della’s, who looked like an angel to him. He gazed up at her with watery eyes full of wonder. “Wow…” he said, drool dripping down the side of his chin.

“Oh, thanks goodness,” Della sighed. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”

Dewey, held back by Scrooge’s arms during all this chaos, came rushing forward with tears running down his cheeks. He flung himself at Launchpad’s chest and sobbed. “Are you okay, L.P.? I was so scared! I thought you were gonna die!”

Launchpad winced, his abdomen aching where Della squeezed him. He patted Dewey’s head nonetheless and gave the frightened duckling a comforting smile. “I’m fine, little buddy. It’ll take more than an olive to kill Launchpad McQuack!” He looked at Della, his eyes full of admiration as he took both her hands in his. “Miss Dee, you just saved my life. How can I ever thank you?”

Della grew flustered. Not only because Launchpad was holding her hands, but because her family was watching. “Oh, uh, d-don’t mention it.”

“But you’re a hero!” he insisted. “Let me buy you a drink! Please?”

Before Della could answer, the unhappy restaurant manager appeared on the scene. He took one look at the broken window and shattered dishes scattered across the floor and growled. “Who is going to pay for all this?!”

Scrooge glared at the two pilots. _“Yes, I wonder who.”_

Della grabbed Launchpad by the hand and dragged him behind her. “Drinks sound great! Let's go, L.P.!”

They made a hasty exit while Scrooge began arguing with the manager about how much money should cover the damage the pilots had caused. Meanwhile the four ducklings watched them leave in various states of confusion.

"Oh boy," Louie muttered to himself. "I've seen enough bad TV to know where _this_ is going."

* * *

Once they were far enough from Scrooge’s wrath, Della and Launchpad searched for a place to get alcohol. Twilight had fallen on the town of Turrillas and the street lamps were lighting up, casting a golden glow on the darkening blue sky. The moon was rising and stars began to appear one after the other. The sound of church bells ringing marked the hour as eight o’clock.

After some walking they found a tavern that was open and preparing for the dinner hour. Launchpad rushed ahead of Della and opened the door for her. Then he rushed ahead to pull her chosen bar stool out for her before she sat in it. His fawning behavior confused her. She hadn’t been treated like this in a bar in ages. He was most likely being extra polite because she had saved him from choking, but part of her wondered if he thought this was a date.

It wasn’t until she started her first beer that Della considered this might be a bad idea. So many people who had drinks in a dimly lit bar ended up in bed together. But she was Della Duck, the woman who drank sailors under the table in her prime. She could handle a little booze with Launchpad. To her credit she tried to drink responsibly at first. That all went out the window the second Launchpad suggested playing a drinking game. Never mind that she was flying a plane the next day. Her competitive spirit couldn’t resist the challenge. 

The game they played was Never Have I Ever. It started out innocently enough, as these sorts of games often do. But soon enough they ran out of innocent topics and started getting into the juicy ones. To Della’s surprise she was having fun with Launchpad. She felt more relaxed and happy than she had been all day. That could have just been the beer but she knew she wasn’t drunk yet. Even after five drinks she wasn’t even tipsy.

Launchpad was impressed with how many beers she was putting away. “Wow, Miss Dee! I’ve never seen a duck your size drink so much and not fall off the bar stool!”

Della beamed with pride. She wiped the foam from her beak with one sleeve and poured herself another glass. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, big boy. Whose turn is it now?”

“Uh, I think it’s yours,” Launchpad said.

She thought for a moment until she came up with a topic that was wild and outlandish. “Okay, here it is. Never have I ever kissed a wereduck.”

To her surprise Launchpad gulped down half of the beer in his glass. Then he licked foam from his lips and grinned with an impishness he rarely showed.

“ _You_ kissed a _wereduck?!”_ She punched him in the arm. “No way! You’re messing with me!”

He chuckled and rubbed the sore spot where she punched him. “Nope, it’s the truth. I’ve kissed a wereduck.”

She laughed more loudly than usual. “You sly dog! Now you have to tell me the story.”

“Okay, if you insist,” Launchpad obliged. He rested one elbow on the bar and shifted into storyteller mode, his face set in a stern, squinty-eyed frown. He spoke in a deep, dramatic voice. “They lived somewhere deep in the Rocky Mountains. When we met I was lost in the woods and looking for shelter from the rain. By chance I found their cabin and they let me stay for the night. I didn’t suspect anything supernatural. Except for a few weird habits, they looked just like any other duck. But late that night when the moon was full, they changed right before my eyes! A huge wolf-like monster, eight feet tall, covered in thick brown fur, and fangs the size of your arm!”

Della’s eyes widened. That all sounded amazing to her. “Gnarly! Were you scared?”

“Any man would be terrified before such an imposing beast,” Launchpad said grimly. “I ran for my life, but of course they were faster. Finally I was cornered against a cliff. I thought I was done for, but they spoke to me in the same voice I knew. I finally understood they were still the same duck on the inside. They swore not to eat me, and I swore not to reveal their identity to anyone. There’s too many monster hunters out there who’d love nothing more than to mount a wereduck’s head on their wall.”

“You were lucky,” Della said. “What happened next?”

“We spent the night together.” He smiled with a faraway look in his eyes. “We both did a lot of howling that night.”

“Now when you say ‘howling’,” Della began. “Do you mean you guys had sex?”

Launchpad nodded his head. He sighed dreamily and rested his chin in his hands, a big dopey smile on his face. “It was the first time I was with someone bigger than me. And they were so _strong_. I’ll never forget it.”

Della’s imagination ran wild. She pictured a scene in a forest at nighttime. Launchpad was pushed up against a tree trunk with his pants down and his tail out while a huge wereduck aggressively claimed him as its mate. The blissful look on Launchpad’s face showed he was thoroughly enjoying the experience of being ravaged. He embraced his submissive role and begged to be treated with even more roughness. With such a people-pleasing personality he could only ever be a sub. She wondered what he would let _her_ do to him.

“My turn!” Launchpad said cheerily, oblivious to Della’s fantasy. “I got a good one this time. Never have I ever kissed more than three people in one day.”

Della needed a few seconds to get her head back into the game. “When you say ‘kissed’ do you mean on the mouth?”

Launchpad nodded. “Yup.”

Della threw her head back and took a long gulp of beer. Then she banged the empty glass on the bar and grinned with mischievous glee.

Launchpad’s eyes widened. “No! You didn’t!”

She grinned and propped her hands on her hips. “I did. And they were all gods.”

 _“Oooooh!”_ He gaped at her in awe and reverence. This woman truly was a living legend. “Tell me everything! Don’t spare the juicy details!”

“It’s a pretty crazy story.” Della gave him a serious look. “I’ll tell you, but you have to swear to _never_ tell this story to my kids.”

Launchpad nodded solemnly and raised his right hand. “Woodchuck’s honor. Launchpad McQuack never breaks a promise.”

“Good.” She cleared her throat and began a dramatic retelling of the events. Her storytelling style was much like Dewey’s, hammy and full of sound effects and grand gestures with the hands. “The place; Ithaquack. The time; two years ago. On that day of beachside partying, Eros was on the prowl. He thought the party was too dull, and decided to stir up trouble. So while I was playing volleyball with some of the gods, he _shot_ me in the back with one of his magical arrows of love!” She made a swishing motion with her hand to mimic the arrow striking her. “Whoosh THWACK! Right through the heart! I was instantly smitten with the first person I saw; Selene!”

Launchpad was spellbound by Della’s tale so far. “Wait, is Selene the tall one with the hair that goes all the way down to her feet?”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

“She’s pretty cute. What happened next?”

“Eros struck her with a magic arrow as well!” Della continued. “She took one look at me and we both lost all control! We pounced on each other and ravaged one another’s lips like wild animals! But Eros wasn’t done with us yet. He shot me with another arrow, and I fell in love with Selene’s twin brother Helios!”

Launchpad was astounded. A threesome with divine twins! Now that was impressive.

The story went on. “Eros’ mother Aphroducky was amused by her son’s rampage and refused to make him stop. He fired even more arrows, and I fell into the arms of two more gods; Hephaestus, Aphroducky’s husband, and Ares, her favorite lover. That was the last straw for her! She forced Eros to break the spell on us all and took away his arrows. At last we were all free!”

“Wow! What happened after that? With you and everyone you kissed, I mean.”

Della looked rather sheepish. “Things were pretty awkward with everyone. I had to stay away from the island for a while. Selene was the only deity I kissed who would still talk to me after that.”

“She liked kissing you that much, huh?”

“Yeah,” Della said with a dreamy smile. “I liked it, too. A lot.” She closed her eyes and sighed as she reminisced. That delicious first kiss had tasted like sweet nectar and ambrosia. 

Meanwhile Launchpad’s mind drifted off to another dirty fantasy. He pictured Della and Selene making sweet love on the grass, both of them naked and sweaty as they kissed over and over. Then he pictured her with the gods Helios, Hephaestus, and Ares. In each fantasy Della was the one on top, looking like a goddess herself as she sat astride her divine lovers and drove them mad with desire. She looked so confident and sexy in that dominant position. If only she would ride _him_ like that.

He wondered if it was crazy to ask if she would sleep with him. Back in the cave she wasn't thrilled when she thought he had been trying to get into her pants, but that was all a wacky misunderstanding. Maybe she would be more receptive if he approached her the right way. He took a breath to calm his nerves and cleared his throat. Then he put on his flirting face; sexy half-lidded bedroom eyes and the most dashing smile he could manage. 

“You know,” he said in a voice as smooth as butter. “We’ve got a hotel room all to ourselves. What do you say we go back there and push our beds together?”

Della’s cheeks reddened as his hand came to rest on top of hers. Uh oh. It was happening. They had too many drinks and he was officially hitting on her. And worse, instead of saying no like she normally would, she was considering his offer. She wasn’t exactly drunk, but the foggy haze in her brain made the voice of her desire all the louder. 

Plus she was horny. Talking about her past escapades reminded her how much she missed the carefree days of her youth. The heat and the passion, the thrill of each new conquest, it was all a big adventure. And now here was a new admirer offering her exactly what she wanted. It was certainly an alluring offer.

“I don’t know,” Della said reluctantly. “We’ve both had a lot to drink tonight.”

Launchpad leaned in a bit closer, bringing their beaks within kissing distance. “That doesn’t sound like a gal who kissed three gods and one goddess on the same day.” He smirked. “If you say yes I can show you some of the stuff I did with the wereduck.”

Her stomach grew warmer, a warmth that spread throughout her body. This was a seductive side of him she hadn’t seen before. She wanted so badly to grab him and kiss the living daylights out of him. But something was still holding her back. 

“Look, you’re a nice guy, but…”

That ‘but’ made him pause. “But? Is it me? Did I say something stupid again?”

“No, it’s not that,” she said quickly. “I like you, and I think you’re a good friend.”

Launchpad’s heart skipped a beat. Della had just called him her friend for the first time. To him that was an even bigger step than sex. “So what’s wrong? What are you worried about?”

That was a good question. Why was Della so worried about having sex with Launchpad? It was getting harder for her to remember what her excuses were. Ten years of unwilling celibacy had been too long. She needed a release and she needed it soon. Putting it off any longer would lead to a bigger explosion in the future. Tonight was the perfect time to do it. It was just the two of them, they weren’t in any immediate danger, and there was no family around to interrupt them. A chance like this may never come again.

Even better, it might help her to finally forget about...him.

Della raised a finger to Launchpad's beak, staring him straight in the eye with all the sobriety she had left in her. “If we do this, I need you to promise me three things. One, we can’t tell _anyone_ about this. Not Scrooge, not the kids, not anyone. Two, nothing changes between you and me. Tomorrow everything goes back to normal. And three, I _won’t_ get pregnant again. You’ll use protection, or else the whole deal is off.”

He solemnly raised his right hand. “I swear. Launchpad McQuack never breaks a promise.”

“Okay,” Della said decisively. “Let’s do it. Let’s get laid.”

* * *

_To be continued..._

  
  



	5. How Della Got Her Groove Back (NSFW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this is it. The reason this story is rated E. Sorry it took so long, I had to do a LOT of rewrites before I liked it.

Launchpad couldn’t believe his luck. Not only had Della agreed to sleep with him tonight, she had called him her friend. That meant he was a special kind of friend; a friend with benefits.

However the secret nature of their new relationship would take him some getting used to. On the way back to their hotel he tried to hold her hand and was quietly rebuffed. She was serious about not wanting anyone to know what they were up to, even strangers in a foreign country. He put his hands in his pockets and bit his lower lip, trying to hold in his excitement until they were finally alone.

When they arrived at the hotel they took the elevator to their floor. As with everything else in the building the elevator was small and cramped. Launchpad tried to squeeze himself smaller so Della could have some breathing room, yet she was still squished between his body and the wall. Then, to his surprise, he felt her little fingers brush against his and stay there. 

Heart pounding, he opened his hand for her and let her slide in. Her hand, so small yet so strong, was slick with sweat. He stroked her knuckles gently with his thumb to reassure her and felt her shiver.

When they reached their floor Della tightened her grip on Launchpad’s hand, kept her head down, and all but dragged him to their room. His head bumped the doorframe for the fifth time that night. 

After the door was locked, Della smacked her forehead and groaned. “Aw, phooey! We should have bought condoms!”

“No need. I brought my own.” He reached into his jacket and took out a strip of colorful condoms. “And before you ask, I’ve got lube, too!”

The sight of the condoms caused Della to get flustered again. “H-Have you had those in there all this time?”

“All the time,” Launchpad said. “You never know who you’ll bump into on an adventure.” He ended that sentence with a flirty wink.

Della tried not to think about how many times he had needed to use a condom on an adventure. “O-Okay, good. Go put one on.”

In his excitement Launchpad unzipped his pants and started to unbuckle his belt. 

She yelped and covered her eyes. “Not in front of me!!”

He stopped just short of pulling his pants down. “Do you have a favorite flavor? I’ve got grape, strawberry, lemon-lime...”

“I don’t care! Just do it where I can’t see!” She pushed him to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Launchpad wasn’t fazed by Della pushing him around at all. He was starting to find her pushiness a turn on, especially now that he was guaranteed to get laid. He clumsily stripped off his clothes and left them strewn about the bathroom, then started his preparations for the night. He settled on a purple condom, his lucky color, and hoped she liked grape flavor.

As he lubed himself up he thought of Della in the next room. She really was something special. Out of all the ducks on Earth, he was the one she wanted to bang on her big return to sex. Wow. That was a big deal. He would be the first duck Della slept with in ten years. That was a lot of pressure. He was just Launchpad, a regular guy like anyone else. Her past lovers included literal gods and goddesses. How was he supposed to compete with that? What if he wasn’t good enough?

“No!” Launchpad shook his head and frowned at himself in the bathroom mirror. “Keep it together, L.P.,” he said to his reflection. “You can do this. Out of all the ducks Della could have picked tonight, she picked you. She even called you her friend. And you’re wearing a lucky purple condom, just like Darkwing Duck! You can do this.”

Meanwhile in the bedroom Della was too busy having her own little freak out to hear Launchpad’s conversation with himself.

She was also trying to undress, but her nervousness made that simple task a challenge. Her hands were too shaky to undo the buttons and she kept tangling her legs in her shorts. Then she was bumping into the walls and the furniture. Somehow she managed to fight her way out of her clothes and kick them away as far as she could with a frustrated grunt. The only things she didn’t take off were her sports bra and her underpants.

Then she saw her robot leg and a new question arose. Should she take it off or keep it on? She’d just have to try it out and see. Maybe Launchpad would actually be into it. He was into wereducks, why not cyborgs, too? He must be pretty kinky if he was into interspecies sex. She wondered how many kinks he had and if they shared any.

“You can do this, Della,” she muttered to herself while pacing back and forth. “You’re not a virgin, you’re just out of practice. Ten years out of practice, but it’s fine. You’ll get the hang of it again. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You can do this.”

Soon Launchpad came out of the bathroom. He was wearing nothing but a towel, just like when he had finished showering before dinner. And just like back then Della froze in place. She wondered if she would ever get used to seeing him without clothes.

She cleared her throat. “Did you put the condom on?”

He didn’t answer right away. He was too transfixed by the sight of her in her underwear. “Uh, yeah! Yeah, I did do that. The flavor is a surprise.” 

“Good. Now help me push these beds together.”

As Della turned around something white and fluffy caught Launchpad’s eye. Her tail was poking out through a hole in the back of her underwear. As her hips swayed from side to side her tail feathers fluttered tantalizingly along with them. Launchpad’s eyes widened and his fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and grope her. But no, he couldn’t do it. She had just started to call him her friend, and he had to respect her boundaries.

They each pushed their skinny beds to the center of the room and flat against each other. Now they had plenty of space for lovemaking. It wasn’t the ideal type of bed for this activity, but it would do. Launchpad sat on one of the two mattresses, old springs creaking under him. Heat filled the pit of his stomach as Della sat down on the bed next to him. His gaze traveled up and down her semi-clothed body. The more he looked at her the more anxious he became.

“So, um… Are you nervous?” he asked.

“N-Nervous?” she echoed. “Why would I be nervous?”

Launchpad squirmed in place, causing more creaky noises. “This is your first time since you’ve been back on Earth, right? It’s okay to be nervous. I-I mean I’d be nervous if I were you.”

Della clenched her fists in her lap. “I’m not changing my mind. I said I wanted to get laid tonight, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” He twiddled his thumbs. “How should we start?”

“Let’s start with a kiss and go from there.”

“Ladies first. Since it’s your special night. ”

They gazed deeply into each other’s eyes, neither one knowing who should make the first move. While Launchpad was sweating bullets worrying that she was going to change her mind, Della sat overthinking everything, trying to work up the nerve to plunge in. Finally she couldn’t take the suspense anymore. She squeezed her eyes closed, lunged forward and crashed her lips into Launchpad’s so hard that he went tumbling off the bed and hit the floor with a heavy THUD.

Della gasped in horror at what she had just done. “Oh no! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?!”

Launchpad groaned and clutched his forehead in pain. “Owww! I thought you were gonna kiss me, not head butt me!”

“I said I was sorry! I panicked, okay?!”

“If you’re that nervous maybe we shouldn’t—”

She growled. “Do not finish that sentence, McQuack."

He gulped. “Um, well, maybe I could try kissing you instead.”

As much as Della hated to admit it, he was right. She was too nervous to take the lead tonight. “Fine. Get up here.”

Launchpad adjusted the towel around his waist and obediently climbed back up on the bed. Della was sulking in embarrassment with a grumpy pout on her beak. Maybe it was a good idea for him to take the lead this time. He had more experience in this area, especially when it came to getting his partner into the right mood.

He smoothed back his hair and cleared his throat. 

“You know, Miss Dee,” he began, using his smoothest voice. “You’re really cute when you pout.”

She looked up at him shyly through her white bangs, cheeks glowing soft pink. “Really?”

“Yep. But you’re even cuter when you blush.”

Della’s blush spread across her face and her heart skipped a beat. She knew he was just sweet talking her to get into her pants, but it was working. This was a part of the sex experience she had forgotten she missed; the flirting.

She leaned forward, stopping a few inches away from his face. “Tell me more.”

He smiled and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. “You have beautiful eyes. So deep and dark and twinkling like stars.” He placed a finger under her beak and tilted her chin upward. “You have the whole sky in your eyes.”

Della nearly melted. That was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. She felt herself sinking into Launchpad’s eyes, two green pools with bright specks of gold under the surface. Then she felt his hands cupping her face and his lips softly brushing hers in a chaste, gentle kiss.

That kiss, the first real kiss Della had received in over a decade, sent a bolt of lightning through her entire body. She could swear she heard bells and fireworks and a choir of angels singing somewhere. Then, just as suddenly, her entire body softened and relaxed, leaving her with a pleasant tingling sensation everywhere. This was it. This was the feeling she had been craving for so many years.

Sensing her relaxing, Launchpad prodded lightly at her beak with his tongue. She let him in and moaned softly as his tongue caressed hers, sending shivers down her spine as she drank him in. No one had touched her this way in so long, and now she knew just how starved she was for this kind of intimacy.

Sadly Launchpad couldn’t kiss her forever. He pulled away for breath and opened his eyes to see if she was alright. “Did I do good?” he asked.

Della had a blissful smile on her beak and a rosy glow in her cheeks. Then her eyes fluttered open. “Uh huh,” she said dreamily.

“Wanna do it again?” 

Della’s answer was to grab his face and hungrily kiss him back. With a pleased moan Launchpad put his beefy arms around her and pulled her into his lap. She soon went from kissing him all over his face to kissing down the right side of his neck. While one of her hands clawed at the coppery red curls at his nape, the other was on his muscled chest fingering his soft white feathers. She surprised him by sinking her teeth into the fleshy meat there and licking him hungrily. A growl escaped her lips, a sound that sent fire through his loins. He needed to touch her.

One of his hands rubbed little circles between her shoulders while the other moved to the small of her back. Then he grasped her curvy buttocks and brushed across her tail with his thumb. The moment he touched her tail, Della got a surprising jolt of heat that went straight from her anus to her groin. Her eyes shot open as she sucked in a shuddering breath through her teeth. 

“Fuck,” she hissed, trembling all over.

Launchpad was just as surprised as she was. “Wow. I barely touched it. Is this why you always keep your tail covered?”

Della rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Yeah. If anything touches my tail I get all hot and bothered.”

Launchpad smiled. “That’s just like me! I have to keep my tail in my pants all the time. I’ll pop a boner if there’s even a stiff breeze.”

She arched an eyebrow at that news. “Hmm. I’m gonna remember that for later.” 

“Do you mind if I play with yours?”

She blushed again. “No.”

“Can I take your underpants off?” 

“Okay, but watch those fingers, buddy. I don’t want any going up my butt hole.”

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Della scooted out of his lap and turned around, allowing him a perfect view of her tail as he carefully tugged her panties down. She shivered as the fabric brushed over her tail, sending a ripple through her now exposed buttocks. Launchpad gasped at the adorable sight. 

“Aww!” he gushed. “That’s the sweetest little booty I’ve ever seen! Like coconut mousse with whipped cream on top!”

She snorted and giggled at his choice of words. “Sounds like you really wanna eat my ass, L.P.”

“I _do_ wanna eat your ass,” he replied without an ounce of shame.

Della smirked at him over her shoulder. She felt brave enough to shake her hips at him, making her tail sway temptingly. Then she yanked her panties off and tossed them on the floor, and then stood on all fours with her tail up in the air. “You want a taste of this juicy booty, McQuack? You’ve gotta cook it a little longer before it’s ready to eat.”

Launchpad sucked in a breath through his teeth, fighting back the urge to rip her ass in half with his teeth. “I like the sound of that.” He deftly curled Della’s tail feathers around his index finger, then gave them a sharp tug.

A jolt of pain went from Della’s anus and straight to her groin, leaving behind a pleasant tingly warmth. “Oh!” she said with a giggle. “Y-Yes, like that!”

Launchpad felt a surge of confidence. “You like that, Miss Dee?” he said in a smooth voice. “Here’s another one.”

He pulled her tail harder and gave it a firm twist. Again she yelled as the pain brought her pleasure. He did it again and again, having the time of his life. He’d never seen her acting so giddy and it was making him hard. He only regretted that he couldn’t see the expression on her face while he pleasured her.

However, Della was grateful that Launchpad couldn’t see her face. All of this stimulation was overwhelming her with countless emotions. These physical sensations were not new to her and yet they felt like they were. Not to mention how good Launchpad was at doing all this. She had been right to choose him as her partner.

The heat growing in her loins was spreading and her pussy was soon dripping with warm juices. The pungent smell of her lust was enough to drive Launchpad crazy. He released her tail and began to massage her anus with his thumb while fingering her slick pussy with his index finger. 

“You like that, Miss Dee?” Launchpad purred, not slowing down.

Della could only moan out loud as her knees and elbows buckled.

Launchpad kept her locked in place with his left hand planted firmly on Della’s left hip, still pleasuring her with his right. He slipped a second finger into her pussy, and then a third. The feel of his fingers inside her was so different from the feel of her own. They were rougher and thicker and filled her up in ways she never could. Her hot fluids dripped on his hand and he licked his lips, wondering what she would taste like.

But Launchpad wasn’t letting up. “Can I eat your ass now?” he asked hopefully.

She turned her head to look at him. “Why are you so obsessed with my ass?”

“Because it looks exactly like a cupcake with buttercream frosting,” he said with absolute sincerity. He licked his lips again, drooling with excitement. “Mmm, now I’m hungry.”

“Fine, but no fingers in my butt.”

A huge, goofy grin spread across Launchpad’s face. “Yes! Bottom’s up!”

Without further delay, he placed his hands on either side of her hips and angled her rear upward. It was a perfect view of her anus and pussy, framed by damp feathers and smelling pungently of lust. The sight made his mouth water. He started by burrowing his beak deep into her feathers and bit her dancing little tail. Then his tongue lapped her up and his teeth nibbled her sweet flesh, causing her to writhe and wriggle with each bite.

“Gah!” Della gasped, clawing at the mattress. “F-Fuck! Slow down!”

All she could hear was a delighted moan and hungry slurping sounds. Launchpad was having a feast back there, leaving tooth marks on her butt and lapping up her sweet juices. Then he was thrusting his hot, wet tongue inside her ass over and over. With each thrust her legs jerked and the bed creaked.

Meanwhile Della was losing control of herself. Her tail wagged so hard that her entire body was shaking with barely contained ecstasy. She tried to fight off the stars swimming in her vision, fearing that if she gave in to pleasure it would be over too quickly. Her ecstasy rose too high and too fast for her to stop. When she came it felt like an explosion. Stars flashed before her eyes and a pleasing vertigo overtook her. Then her body went limp and she collapsed face first onto a pillow like a boneless ragdoll.

“Wow…” she panted, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “That was so…Wow.”

Launchpad licked his lips and patted her tired yet happy bottom. “Happy to help, Miss Dee,” he replied. “You tasted delicious. I just wish I could have seen the look in your eyes when you crashed. That’s my favorite part.”

Della blushed at the thought. Staring into Launchpad’s eyes while he brought her to orgasm sounded pretty hot. But first she had to get her second wind. Launchpad was aware of this and lowered Della’s tired body down to the mattress. Then he lay behind her so that they were spooning, one hand resting on her hip. The tip of his purple clad penis was resting under her fluffy tail, aching to be inside her. He tried to be patient and wait for Della to recover, but his lust won out.

He rolled her floppy body over on her back and positioned himself above her, palms flat on the mattress behind her head. “Hey, Miss Dee? I wanna try fucking you from the front, and I’m gonna watch your face until you crash. Okay? Blink once for yes, twice for no.”

Della could barely open her eyes but she somehow found the strength to blink once in reply and spread her legs a bit wider. She saw Launchpad remove his towel, revealing his erect penis covered in a purple condom. Then he placed his hands on her hips and entered her slowly, inch by inch. She shuddered at the feeling of his warm, throbbing cock entering her and filling her up inside.

Launchpad sighed deeply, enjoying the searing bliss spreading up through the pit of his stomach. Della’s moist heat and softness enveloping him felt so right. Then his hips bucked forward. He thrust in and out slowly, still trying to play it safe. She was so small and he was so big. But Della wasn’t having it. Her hands flew up to clutch his face and hold it mere inches in front of hers. 

“Harder.”

Launchpad was both startled and aroused by her forcefulness. A new wave of tingly bliss flowed into his already stiff member. “B-but...”

Della pulled his hair and growled. “Do it. Crash me again.”

Launchpad did as she said and thrust with more force, going deeper than before. His tip pressed something spongy deep inside her. With a sharp gasp she wrapped her legs around him and arched her back, pressing into him and whining for more. The bed springs creaked louder and louder with each of his powerful thrusts. Through it all she kept holding his face in front of hers. Her gaze was unflinching, as if daring him to fuck her harder and harder. He used all the strength he had to please her, pounding that spongy spot in her and rising closer and closer to his own zenith. It was anyone’s guess who would come first.

“M-Miss Dee,” Launchpad groaned, his forehead soaked with sweat. “I-I can’t go much longer.”

Her fingernails dug into his scalp. “Don’t look away,” she hissed. “Keep those gorgeous eyes on me, babe.”

Launchpad blushed at her words. It was so hard to stay focused through the ever-growing fog in his brain, but somehow he did it. Della’s orgasm came first. She cried out in ecstasy and pulled his hair, her walls clenching around his length. Launchpad hit his climax soon after. After a few more thrusts he was so hot he could hardly breathe. His mind went blank, and he shuddered as his semen spurted into his lucky purple condom. Then he collapsed on top of her like a sweaty sack of wet cement, completely exhausted and out of breath.

They stayed like that for some time, panting in a tangle of arms and legs. Della didn’t bother to push Launchpad off of her. She was reveling in the comforting weight and heat and sweaty smells of his big muscular body. His cock was still inside her and throbbing pleasantly, while his breathing slowed from a heavy panting to a soothing breeze on her cheek. She twisted her fingers in his sweaty copper curls and nuzzled his meaty neck with her beak, leaving soft kisses and light nibbles on his skin.

Launchpad smiled tiredly, his tail twitching lazily behind him. He shifted himself lower to rest his head on Della’s chest and cupped one of her tiny breasts, noting that her nipples were hard under her sports bra. He fully intended to play with those later.

While she rested Della felt a surge of mixed emotions swirling around in her head. She thought of how Launchpad had given her so much pleasure and what a good lover he was. She thought of how alone she had been before, how unsatisfying her self-induced pleasures were when she was still alone in a cold empty rocket. She thought of how long ago it had been since someone had made her feel like this and didn’t abandon her afterward.

Then, out of nowhere, she sobbed out loud, hot tears spilling from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.

Launchpad froze in shock and horror, certain that he had done something wrong. His mind went back to his fantasy in the shower, where an imaginary Della scolded him for not being good enough for her. He blew it. He really blew it.

He pulled away from her. “I-I’m sorry! Did I hurt you? Do you need a doctor?”

Della covered her eyes with her hands and shook her head. She struggled to speak through her sobs. “N-No…”

Launchpad’s heart jumped into his throat. “B-But then why? Why are you crying?”

“I-I don’t know.” She put her hands over her eyes, small chest heaving with sobs. “Just hold me.”

He opened his arms and let Della flop into him. She rested her head on his broad chest, her little body shaking all over as she cried. This had never happened to her before. Sex had never overwhelmed her this much in the past. She thought she could handle doing it again, but she had lived in isolation for so long that she had all but forgotten how good it could be to have sex with another person. Now she had everything she wanted and she couldn’t handle it anymore.

Launchpad quietly rocked her and rubbed little circles on her back to soothe her. His steady heartbeat was calming and his feathers smelled good, like sweat mixed with beer and a hint of the hotel’s orange blossom soap. He bent his head to take a sniff of her sweet, intoxicating scent. Then he started to preen her with his beak. The preening was a surprise, but Della found it relaxing. It reminded her of simpler times when she was younger and more innocent. She felt so small and delicate next to Launchpad, and completely safe in his arms.

“Thanks, L.P.,” Della murmured, her tears finally slowing down. “You’re a good friend.”

Launchpad chuckled softly into her hair. “You called me your friend again.”

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I killed the mood.”

He wiped a tear from her eyes. “You’re sure I didn’t hurt you?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m just a little overwhelmed. This was...a _lot_ more than I’m used to.”

“Don’t worry about it.” A pause. “Did you like it?”

“ _Yes.”_ Della said without any hesitation whatsoever. “You were _amazing._ Why didn’t you tell me you could eat ass like that? What else can you do that you haven’t told me about?”

Launchpad smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. “That can wait. We both need a break.”

She frowned and sat up with her hands on her hips. “Listen, McQuack, we’re not done yet. Two orgasms isn’t gonna cut it. I’ve got _eleven years_ of pent up frustration I need to get out. We’re gonna be at this for _hours_ before we’re done.”

His eyes lit up with excitement. “Hours?”

“Yup. Maybe even days. Or weeks.” She leaned over him and placed her face in front of his, a wild glint in her eyes and a wolfish grin on her beak. “Who knows? Maybe even longer.”

A huge, goofy grin spread across his face. “G-Gosh…” he said at last, gazing back at her with surprised adoration.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	6. How Della Got her Groove Back, part 2

The next morning Della and Launchpad were late for breakfast. Scrooge and the kids grew worried, especially Dewey. Something weird was going on with those two. It wasn’t like either of them to be late for a meal, and they had both been acting strangely the night before. At last he volunteered to go check on them.

As he rode the elevator Dewey wondered what Della and Launchpad did in there all night. What did adults do when they were alone together? Did they have anything to talk about? Did they like any of the same things? Why had they been acting so weird yesterday? Had his mom been nice to his friend while no one was watching them? She had promised she would be nicer, and she wouldn’t break the promise she made to him, would she?

When he arrived at their floor, Dewey raised his fist to knock on their door. However a weird noise from inside stopped him. It sounded like the creaking of rusty springs. Then he heard a sharp **_crack_ ** and a deep, throaty moan that sounded like Launchpad crying out in pain.

“Ooooh, Miss Dee,” he gasped, panting heavily. “Please, I can’t take it anymore!”

Then came Della’s voice. “Not yet, McQuack,” she growled. “By the time I’m done you won’t be able to sit for weeks.”

Another **_crack_ ** followed. Launchpad’s moans and groans grew more desperate. “Ooooh, that smarts! You’re so strong!”

“What a dirty little boy you are. I should have punished you a long time ago.” Della chuckled, followed by another **_crack_ ** . 

“Yes!” Launchpad gasped out. “Punish me harder! I deserve it!”

Dewey was terrified. It sounded like his mom was killing his best friend! He banged on the door with all his might and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Hey! Open the door! What’s going on in there?!”

All sounds inside the room stopped abruptly. Then there was the sound of frantic whispering and running footsteps on carpet, one flesh and one metal. The door flew open and Della appeared in the doorway wearing nothing but a towel around herself and holding a belt in one hand.

“Hi, Dewey!” she said, smiling in a way that was bordering on panic and insanity. “W-What are you doing here, sweetie?”

Dewey’s brows were crinkled with worry. “I heard yelling! What’s going on? What’s that belt for? Are you guys fighting? Did you murder Launchpad?!”

“No, no! It’s nothing like that! Launchpad and I were just, uh…” 

Della’s tongue dried out and her throat went tight. She was in no way ready to have this conversation with her son. She hid the belt behind her back and sputtered and stammered, trying to figure out what to say to him. 

“W-W-We were wrestling!” she blurted out.

“Wrestling?” Dewey echoed with surprise.

“Yep! Wrestling! That’s exactly what happened! Just a little friendly roughhousing! Totally harmless fun!”

Right on cue Launchpad was making noise again. “Miss Deeeeee,” he called out in a pleading voice. “Where’d you go? Don’t leave me hanging like this!”

“Hold your horses!” Della shouted back. She started inching backwards and slowly closing the door so Dewey couldn’t see what was behind her. “See, he’s fine! Everything is perfectly normal!”

Thankfully Dewey believed her. “That’s great! I knew you guys could be friends! Oh, by the way, Scrooge said to tell you guys to come down for breakfast. He wants to fly back to Duckburg by eight o’clock.”

“Miss Deeee,” Launchpad’s voice whined pathetically. “I need youuuu.”

 _”I said I was coming!”_ Della snapped at him. She turned back to Dewey with a phony grin on her face. “We’ll be down in fifteen minutes. Bye, sweetie!” Then she slammed the door and locked it.

“Bye,” Dewey muttered, scratching his head as he turned to leave. “Grownups are really weird.”

* * *

Della listened at the door until Dewey’s footsteps faded away. Then she exhaled noisily. “That was a close call.”

Hidden from Dewey’s view, Launchpad’s naked body was lying ass up across the two hotel beds, covered on all sides in red and purple bite marks, scratches, and bruises. He was blindfolded with Della’s scarf and there were ropes tying his wrists and ankles together, while his bare butt cheeks were throbbing with bright red stripes. Della had done all of this to him at his request, and he had loved every single second of delicious pain. 

“Miss Dee?” Launchpad asked, coming out of his foggy sexual haze. “What happened? Was somebody here?”

“It was Dewey,” she said, untying the ropes around his ankles. “He doesn’t suspect a thing, but we can’t stay here. Scrooge and the kids are expecting us.”

Launchpad pouted while she untied him. “Aww. I was having such a good time.”

“Me, too,” she sighed, untying his wrists and removing his blindfold. “Come on, get your cute butt out of bed.”

As soon as he was free Launchpad rolled upright, grabbed Della and pulled her into a hug, flopping back on the bed with her. “Not yet,” he muttered. “You promised we’d cuddle afterwards.”

Della’s feathers ruffled. “F-Fine, but only five minutes.”

Launchpad tenderly nuzzled her face and combed his fingers through her hair. He inhaled her scent deeply, smelling her sweat and orange blossom shampoo and the grease she used on her leg joints. “I’m so glad we did this,” he murmured blissfully. “Can we do it again sometime?”

Della couldn’t hold back a giddy squeal at all the affection he was showering her with, her tail wagging with delight. “I’d like that. I haven’t felt this good in a long, long time.”

Last night was the best night Della had had in years. Once she got a taste of Launchpad and overcame her worries she was starving for more. He did everything she wanted him to do and let her do anything she wanted to him. He even succeeded at satisfying her multiple times, but she never stayed satisfied for very long. No matter how many times he wore her out, she always demanded more, and he was more than willing to provide. She looked forward to doing this again many more times in the future.

But the incident with Dewey had planted a new seed of worry in Della’s mind. She had narrowly avoided traumatizing him with the knowledge that his mother had performed lewd acts on his best friend. If she wanted to keep doing lewd acts with Launchpad—and she very much did—then they both had to be much more secretive from now on.

“Listen, Launchpad,” she said seriously. “We can’t tell anyone we did this. Especially not my family.”

He looked back at her with confusion. “Why not?”

“My kids are way too young to deal with something like this,” Della said. “I’m hoping I won’t have to give them the sex talk until they’re in their thirties. And Scrooge...he’d probably kill you.”

Launchpad gulped audibly. “K-Kill me?”

“Well, maybe not kill you, but he’d fire you for sure if he knew we slept together. Donald, on the other hand...just be glad he’s still on that cruise.”

Launchpad started biting his nails. “I don’t wanna get fired! Where am I gonna find another boss who lets me sleep in his garage??”

Della put her hands on his shoulders. “That’s not gonna happen, L.P. Not as long as we keep all of this a secret. Now go take a cold shower. We need to hurry.”

He reluctantly rose from the bed and shuffled to the bathroom door. Then he paused, his hand on the doorknob, wheels turning in his head. There was still a little time before they had to leave. Just enough to squeeze in one last round of fun.

Launchpad arched his back and stretched, giving Della a fantastic view of the powerful muscles in his arms, back, and shoulders as they bulged and rippled. The choked little squeak she made brought a smile to his face. He then lowered his hands to his hips, turned around and flipped his copper bangs like a model in a shampoo commercial. 

“Y’know,” he said, flashing a flirty smirk in her direction. “We could shower together. A dirty little boy like me could use some help cleaning up.”

Della’s feathers ruffled and her pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints. Launchpad’s smirk and his bruised yet still sexy naked body were too much for her to resist, and he knew it. He knew if he simply struck a pose and flipped his hair she would start salivating like a starving dog.

“That’s not fair,” she growled, drool pricking at the corners of her beak.

“What’s not fair?” Launchpad asked innocently. “This?” He turned and thrust his tail at her, swaying his hips saucily. “Is this what you mean by ‘not fair’?”

She bit down on her lower lip and squeezed her knees together. “Damn it! We don’t have time for this, Launchpad!”

“Oh yes we do. I bet I can make you cum in ten minutes.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Is that a challenge?”

She pounced on him, kissing him greedily while she fumbled with the doorknob with one hand.

“Ten minutes,” she muttered between kisses. “Ten minutes, and then we’re done.”

* * *

When they finally came down to breakfast Della and Launchpad made a show of acting like everything was normal. With their clothes on and their hair combed there was no sign that anything unusual had happened between them. However, while Launchpad’s collection of bruises were well covered by his clothing, Webby noticed a large purple hickey on the side of his neck and jumped to the conclusion that he had been attacked by a vampire. While Della diverted her attention, Launchpad popped his collar and shoveled toast and jam into his mouth.

The return flight to Duckburg was sixteen hours long. Della took charge of flying the Cloudslayer for most of the trip, but instead of making Launchpad do pointless chores to keep him away from the controls, she let him ride in the co-pilot seat beside her. This gave them plenty of opportunities to ‘accidentally’ touch each other’s hands when they reached for something at the same time. Whenever their fingers bumped Della felt tingles run through her. She was so hungry for Launchpad’s touch, especially now that she knew what his hands could do.

Later Launchpad started teasing Della’s right leg with his foot. He reached over and stroked the skin of her exposed calf and watched her blush and sputter with a cheeky grin on his face. He was having far too much fun with this. Despite her embarrassment Della didn’t make him stop. Distracting as it was she was thoroughly enjoying all his attention.

Eventually the sun went down and night fell. Scrooge and the kids fell asleep in their chairs, and Della started yawning. Nighttime flights always made her sleepy. They were so boring and there was nothing to see but dark, dark, and more dark.

Launchpad brought two cups of coffee from the galley and offered one to her. “Looks like someone’s running out of steam. Want me to take over for a while?”

Della smothered another yawn and took the coffee cup from him. Seeing that there wasn’t much of anything for him to crash into out here, she surrendered the controls to him. “Thanks, L.P. I could use a little break.”

After sitting back down in his seat and taking the yoke, Launchpad’s mind immediately started to drift. “Sure is quiet out here," he remarked.

“Yup,” Della said. She blew some steam from her coffee and took a sip.

“Just the two of us. Alone. With no one else around.”

“Yup.” She took another sip of coffee.

“Wanna get laid?”

Della choked and sprayed coffee all over the control panel. _“What?!”_

Launchpad didn’t miss a beat. “Come on, it’s the perfect time! It’s dark, everybody’s asleep, there’s nothing around for miles-”

“Are you crazy?!” Della interrupted. “We’re flying a plane across the ocean!”

“That’s what the autopilot is for. Come on, you’ve been working all day. You deserve a break.” He reached over and took her hand in his, smiling that annoyingly flirty smile she both hated and loved so much. She couldn’t decide whether to kiss him or punch him in his big dumb face.

“I-I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Della stammered. She tugged at her scarf, feeling suddenly hotter. “One of us should really be paying attention.”

“I _am_ paying attention,” Launchpad said in a smoky voice. “To _you_.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. He kissed her hand a few more times, giving each one of her fingers individual attention. The whole time he kept his eyes fixed on her, thoroughly enjoying the sight of her resolve slowly crumbling.

Della made a strangled hissing noise and bit down on her lower lip. Damn it. This man had too much power over her. In just one night he’d figured out all her weak points and now he was using them against her. At last she switched on the autopilot, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him toward the cargo hold.

“Fifteen minutes,” she grumbled. “Fifteen minutes and then we’re done.”

* * *

The next morning when they landed in Duckburg, Della wanted to wash the Cloudslayer. After everything she had done with Launchpad in the cargo hold last night it needed a thorough scrub down. 

After rinsing the plane with a garden hose, Della and Launchpad scrubbed off the remaining bits of gunk with sponges and soap. It was a hot day, hot enough to make them cast off their jackets to keep cool. Della had taken off her aviator cap and tied her hair up in a short ponytail. She sat on one of the wings and scrubbed off some gross brown gunk that was hopefully dirty gum. No matter how hard she scrubbed it wasn’t coming off, and she was getting frustrated.

The gum wasn’t the only thing that was frustrating. She could hear Launchpad whistling while he worked underneath the same wing she was sitting on. Knowing he was down there made it harder to focus on her work. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and all the sex they had been having. Things were quickly moving in a direction she hadn’t planned on and wasn’t ready for.

“Aaaagh!” she yelled. “There’s way too much gum on this plane! How am I supposed to clean it all off??”

“You gotta use ice,” Launchpad said from below. “It hardens the gum, and then it peels right off. I’ve got a whole bucket full down here.”

“Can you pass it up here? This is gonna take forever otherwise.”

“Can do, Miss Dee.”

When Launchpad stepped out from under the wing Della’s mouth fell open in shock. He had stripped off his shirt and hat, fully exposing his entire upper body. His uncovered red locks curled over his forehead and at the nape of his neck, and he was grinning that adorably affable grin of his.

In one hand he held a plastic bucket full of ice and held it up to her. Della reached down to take the handle and was about to say ‘thank you’, but those were not the words that came out of her mouth.

“Fuck me.”

Launchpad’s smile vanished and his eyes went wide with shock. “What?”

 _“Th-Thank you!”_ she said much too loudly. “I said thank you!”

“That’s not what I heard,” Launchpad said with a smirk. “Sounded like you said ‘fuck me’.”

“What? Ha ha ha! You're talking crazy! That wasn’t me! I swear! It was somebody else”

As she backed away her metal foot landed on her wet, soapy sponge. All of a sudden she was slipping, flailing and sliding out of control across the Cloudslayer’s wing. With a cry she fell head first over the edge. Launchpad dove to catch her in his arms but instead Della crash-landed into his face in the worst way possible. Their beaks collided painfully, their foreheads slammed into each other, and stars exploded before both their eyes. They landed on the slippery tarmac in a heap of arms, legs, and soggy clothes. When Della came to her senses she was lying on top of a wet, shirtless Launchpad. They gaped at each with wide eyes.

Then Launchpad winced. “Um, could you get off? Your robot leg’s digging into my guts.”

Mortified, Della jumped back and covered her face with both hands. “Sorry!”

Launchpad sat upright and rubbed the sore spot in his gut where her knee had been. “It’s okay, everybody crashes sometimes.”

A pause.

“So did you still want me to fuck you?”

Della took him by the wrist and dragged him toward the empty hangar with her.

“Thirty minutes.”

* * *

The banging session in the hangar lasted well over thirty minutes, and there were several more impromptu banging sessions after that. They moved on to the mansion, where Della knew all the most isolated spots that no one would think to look for them. Closets, attics, basements, garages, even Donald's currently vacant houseboat. That one was especially fun because the harder they banged the more the boat rocked and rolled in the pool.

The last place Della and Launchpad desecrated was the inside of the limo parked inside the garage. It was cramped but very private, and when things got intense the whole limo bounced up and down.

After that, and only after that, did Della finally wonder if this was all getting out of hand.

* * *

Later that night Della stood outside the door to Launchpad’s garage, debating whether or not to knock. She was clean and dry and dressed in comfortable sleep clothes, but she was not yet ready to relax. The events of the past three days had left her in a state of emotional and physical turmoil, and all of it centered around Launchpad. All she knew was that if she didn’t clear the air with him she would explode. The only problem was that she had no idea how to start.

This situation with Launchpad was spiraling out of her control. When it started Della had only expected to have a one night stand with Launchpad. Instead it had turned into a three day sex marathon. Of course it had all been wonderful, but that was how things always started before they went horribly wrong. Launchpad made a point of wearing a condom every time, but it was only a matter of time before their luck ran out and one of those condoms broke. And then what would happen? She would get pregnant and he would leave her, just like the last guy this had happened with.

Della sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. “You can do this, Della,” she muttered to herself. “You’re not in too deep yet. Just tell Launchpad you want to be friends. Chaste, celibate, non-sexual friends.”

She began to pace back and forth.

“What am I gonna say to him? ‘Launchpad, these past few days have been amazing, and I think you’re a gorgeous guy with a beautiful smile and your red hair sets me on fire, but’...Ugh, no that won’t work. ‘Hey, L.P., you’re a nice guy with a rock hard set of abs and an ass that won’t quit, but we really need to stop hooking up’-- _Gah!_ That’s worse!” 

Suddenly the door swung open and Launchpad appeared. He wore blue striped pajamas and had damp hair, and he smelled of soap and aftershave. “Miss Dee?” he said, looking startled. “What are you doing here?”

Della froze in place and seriously considered playing dead. There was no time to come up with a plan. This was a trial by fire. She put on a smile and tried to play it cool, but she couldn’t decide whether to fold her arms or put her hands on her hips. She ended up flailing and fidgeting like a lunatic. “Oh! Hey, L.P.! Is this your room? I totally forgot! W-What’s up?”

His brows crinkled in confusion. “I heard you talking out here. Did you need something?” A smirk tugged at his beak. “Maybe another roll in the hay before hitting the hay?”

Della wrenched her eyes away from that frustratingly sexy smirk and squirmed uncomfortably in place. “A-Actually I was hoping we could talk. Can I come in?”

“Sure, come on in. Mi casa, su casa.” He opened the door a bit wider and stepped aside.

As Della walked past him something white and fluffy caught Launchpad’s eye. Her tail was poking out through a hole in the back of her pajama shorts. As her hips swayed from side to side her white tail feathers fluttered daintily along with them. He wanted to reach out and grope her, but she had said she only wanted to talk and restrained himself.

Unaware of his inner thoughts, Della walked to his beat up old couch and sat down. “Could you shut the door? I don’t want anyone to hear us.”

Launchpad nodded mutely and did as she asked. As he walked over to join her on the couch he felt a new erection starting. He was lucky his pajama pants were more loose-fitting than his tight flight pants, but damn, this woman had too much power over him. He sat at the opposite end of the couch from her and covered his crotch with one of the extra pillows.

Then he cleared his throat. “So, what did you wanna talk about?”

Della fidgeted with her hands in her lap, cheeks turning a shade of soft pink. “I-It’s complicated. I need a minute to figure out how to say it.”

“No prob. Take your time.”

The two ducks sat in complete silence for some time. While Della tried to get her thoughts in order, Launchpad tried to think about anything but how horny he was. Then he started to worry that Della coming here to talk to him was not a good thing. This was how most of his breakups started. Everything seemed fine, and then one day they wanted to ‘talk’. 

At last Della spoke. “Launchpad, here’s the thing. I’ve had a really, really, _really_ amazing time with you these past few days. But...”

Launchpad’s heart jumped into his throat. “But?”

“But...I think we should stop.”

His heart dropped into his stomach. There it was, the rejection bomb. But why? What had he done wrong? Did she not like the condoms he used? Or was it just him she had grown tired of? It had to be his fault. It always was. He just wasn’t good enough for her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, hanging his head sadly. “I pushed you too much.”

Della reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in a grip that was stronger than her size would suggest. “No, I _absolutely_ wanted it. _All_ of it.”

Launchpad looked her in the eyes and saw that she wasn’t messing around. Her intensity flustered him. “O-Oh,” he said.

She pulled back and returned her attention to her knees. “The problem is this is all happening so fast. I didn’t think it would go this far, and I’ve still got so much baggage from my last serious relationship to work through.”

He tilted his head curiously. She hadn’t mentioned a serious relationship to him before. “Is it something you can tell me about?”

Della went quiet for a moment. “No. Not now. It hurts too much. I thought it didn’t bother me anymore, but it does.”

Launchpad placed one big hand on her slim shoulder and squeezed it softly. “It’s okay. We can slow down if you want.”

“I’m sorry. I feel like I led you on.”

He shook his head. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me all of this. It means we’re really friends now.”

Della smiled. “You know, I was wrong about you.”

He blinked. “Buh?”

“Yeah. When I first met you I thought you were a…” She paused, deciding not to finish that sentence. “Well, I misjudged you. Honestly I’m _still_ trying to figure you out. But you’re actually a pretty amazing guy.”

Launchpad’s smile started to return. “Really? I always thought that about _you_. You’re incredible, Miss Dee. I think any guy—or girl, or whatever you’re into—would be lucky to have you.”

Della couldn’t help blushing at his glowing praises. Even after everything he was still so sweet to her. She didn’t deserve someone like him. “Thanks, L.P.”

“No problem-o, Miss Dee,” Launchpad said with a smile. 

They sat gazing at each other in comfortable silence for a long moment. Soon they drifted closer and closer until they were almost about to kiss. At the last second Della came to her senses and blocked Launchpad’s beak with her hands.

“Wait, wait, slow down!” Della exclaimed, scooting backwards on the couch. “We’re supposed to be slowing down!”

Launchpad shrank back and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I got lost in the moment.”

She sighed and slumped back against the couch. “We need to set some new rules. From now until further notice, we keep our clothes on with each other. And no touching below the waist.”

“Not even a butt touch?” he said with a pout. “Your tail is so cute.”

“Butts are okay, but no crotch touching. Too risky.” She took his hand and brought it up to her cheek. “And when we’re alone like this, you can call me Della.”

He grinned. “And you can call me Launchpad.”

* * *

_To be continued..._

  
  



	7. The Calm Before the Storm

After agreeing to slow things down, Della and Launchpad spent the night in their own rooms. It took longer than usual for them to fall asleep without each other. They had grown used to having someone beside them to fall asleep with.

Besides the obvious lack of sexual activity, Della missed Launchpad’s legs tangled in hers and his arms around her, one across her waist and the other cradling her head close to his chest. She missed his warm musky smells and his soft snoring. He not only made her feel safe and warm, he kept the bad memories away. She arranged some extra pillows next to her and hugged it with her arms and legs. It helped a little, but it was too small, too cold, and smelled wrong. Worse, it made no sounds to distract her from her thoughts.

Lying in bed alone in a dark bedroom reminded her too much of the moon. She spent so many nights alone in that cold dark rocket, keeping one ear open for moon mites while her regrets tormented her and pushed her steadily closer and closer to madness. Tonight after tossing and turning for a few hours there was a sound that finally saved Della from insomnia; rain. There was never rain on the moon. It was a sure reminder that she was on Earth, safe at home in her own room in her own bed with no moon mites anywhere.

The next morning the rain was still falling and the sky outside Della’s window was gray and overcast. When she arrived at the dining room for breakfast the family was already gathered around the table. Scrooge was reading the newspaper while he drank his nutmeg tea, and Mrs. Beakley was bustling back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room serving the food and taking empty dishes away. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby were there as well, eating bacon and eggs while engaged in lively chatter about their plans for the day.

Launchpad was also at the table when Della arrived. He had a huge plate of eggs and bacon that he was steadily devouring. Dewey was sitting closest to him, telling him about the weird dreams he had last night. Della decided to sit across from Launchpad this time. Yesterday she had spent the entire day with him, so today she needed to make an effort to distance herself from him. So far nobody seemed suspicious, and she wanted to keep it that way. 

When Launchpad saw Della sit in front of him his eyes lit up. He washed down a mouthful of eggs with a big glass of orange juice and attempted to greet her while acting normal in front of the family. However his way of acting normal did not, in fact, look normal.

“Mornin’, Miss Dee!” he said with exaggerated cheeriness. “You’re just in time for breakfast, and what an amazing breakfast it is! It sure is great to share a _normal_ meal with the whole family! Boy, do I love these _normal_ mornings with my _normal_ best friends!” He hooked one big arm around Dewey’s skinny shoulders, with a wide grin and a broad wink at Della.

All eyes turned to Launchpad and then to Della, who was now screaming on the inside. She made a mental note to lecture him about his bad acting skills later. She cleared her throat and forced a laugh. “Ha ha! You’re right, L.P.! Family togetherness is the best! Can you pass me the butter?”

“Don’t mind if I do!” he replied jovially as he picked up the butter dish and handed it to her across the table. “Here ya go, buddy!”

The moment Della reached to take the butter dish, her fingers landed on top of Launchpad’s. Both of them felt a jolt and locked eyes. A moment of awkward silence followed.mEveryone was still watching the two pilots and wondering if they had gone insane. At last Louie scrunched up his beak in disgust and said the first thing that popped into his mind. 

“Are you guys gonna kiss?”

Della snapped back to reality then. Her arm jerked upward and accidentally flipped the butter dish into Launchpad’s face with a **splat**. The dish slid down to the table, leaving a thick layer of butter smeared over his beak and forehead.

“Whew,” Louie said dryly. “False alarm, everybody.”

Dewey’s eyebrows wrinkled in a frown. “Why are you guys being weird again? This is, like, the fifth time I’ve seen you freeze up and stare into each other’s eyes for an uncomfortably long amount of time.”

“What are you talking about, Dewey?” Launchpad asked. “We’re acting as normal as normal can be!” He then used a knife to scrape the butter off his face and spread it onto his toast.

Huey, seated beside Della, looked at her with suspicion. “You guys have been acting pretty weird ever since our adventure in Spain. Almost like you’re hiding something.”

Della started to panic. Her kids were smart. Way too smart. She forced a laugh and patted Huey’s head just a little too hard. “Ha ha ha ha! Oh, you adorable little scamps! You say the darndest things! _Hey, Uncle Scrooge!_ ” she said shrilly, hoping to distract everyone. “Got any big plans for today? Please tell us what you’re up to in great length!”

“That reminds me,” Scrooge said, lowering his newspaper at last. “Launchpad, after breakfast I need you to drive me to the Duckburg Museum of Natural History. I want to add a new exhibit for the Pearl of Wisdom.”

“You got it, Mr. McDee,” Launchpad said, licking the last traces of butter off his face. “What’s the Pearl of Wisdom?”

Everyone at the table groaned.

“Are you serious?” Dewey complained. “You were there for that adventure!”

“Actually,” Huey chimed in. “He was stuck in a cave with mom while _we_ had the adventure.”

“Thanks, Huey,” Launchpad said. “I remember that part. I don’t remember any pearls, though.”

Louie muttered to himself. “Cue long-winded expository speech from Scrooge in three, two, one…”

Right on cue Scrooge launched into a long-winded, expository speech.

“Legend says the Pearl of Wisdom was created from the tears of the mermaid Queen Marina the Wise. The queen filled it with all of her wisdom and that of her ancestors, and kept it safe in the royal crown to be worn by all mermaid rulers thereafter. The Pearl was the pride of the Atlantic Ocean kingdom, until the day it was stolen by the nefarious pirate Captain Blackheart.”

Launchpad, eyes wide and chin in his hand, was the only one still listening to the story. Della and the four children had heard this story before and went on eating their breakfasts. Of course this didn't slow Scrooge down for a second. As long he had one person to speechify to he was damn well going to do it.

“Queen Marina swore revenge,” Scrooge continued. “And used her powers to sink Blackheart’s ship with a huge tidal wave. He lost his entire crew, but that dirty scalawag survived and washed up on the shores of Spain. Too stubborn to surrender, he hid the Pearl in those tunnels deep in the mountains, so deep that no mermaid could ever find it. And for over three-hundred years it remained hidden. Until now!”

Right on cue, he produced the eponymous pearl from under the table. It was silvery white and as big as a grapefruit. “Behold the Legendary Pearl of Wisdom!” 

“Ooooh!” Launchpad said admiringly. “Wow, that’s a cool story! You did a really good thing finding that pearl, Mr. McDee! I bet the mermaid queen would love to get it back.”

Scrooge scoffed and polished the giant pearl with his sleeve. “Are you daft? I worked hard to get this treasure. I’m not giving it up!”

Launchpad frowned slightly. “But it was stolen from the mermaids. My old girlfriend Oceanika was a mermaid, and she says that's bad luck. Shouldn’t you give it back to them?”

Della, who had been quietly drinking her orange juice, choked at the word ‘girlfriend.'

Scrooge frowned back. Launchpad rarely disagreed with him, and he didn’t like it when he did. “I don’t pay you to have an opinion, McQuack. We’re taking it to the museum, and that’s final.”

“You’re the boss, boss,” Launchpad said reluctantly.

Across the table, Webby’s eyes grew huge and sparkly. “Oh my gosh! Launchpad, you never told me you dated a _mermaid_ before! You’re my new favorite person in this room!” She slipped down from her chair and under the table, and suddenly popped up next to Launchpad like a pink and purple jack-in-box. “Tell me all about her!”

Launchpad scratched his head. “Uh, okay. What do you wanna know first?”

“What does she look like?” Webby asked. “Is she pretty? I bet she’s pretty!”

“Oh, she is.” He smiled wistfully as he thought of his mermaid lover. “She’s got these glittery golden fins and eyes that match, and when she swims she sparkles in the sunlight. Her hair is strawberry blonde and goes down past her waist, and it’s as soft as cotton candy.”

While Launchpad was using poetic words to describe his mermaid lover, Della clenched her teeth and glared at her breakfast in seething silence. There were still eggs and bacon on her plate she hadn't finished, but her stomach felt like it was full of writhing snakes. As if that weren’t enough she began to feel nauseous. The thought of Launchpad getting freaky with someone else, let alone someone who was part fish, was literally making her sick.

She choked and covered her beak, holding back the urge to vomit. At last she pushed away from the table, chair scraping the floor noisily, and stood up.

“Oi! You didn’t finish your food!” Scrooge called after her.

“I’ve lost my appetite!” Della yelled back as she ran from the room.

“Ach, always so dramatic.” Scrooge muttered. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Launchpad asked.

“Oh, Della has a terrible phobia of fish,” Scrooge replied. “Ever since she was a duckling she couldn’t stand them.” He rolled up his newspaper and stood up from his chair. “Come along, Launchpad. It’s time we got a move on.”

“Yes, sir,” Launchpad said, looking much gloomier than before as he stood up. He felt responsible for causing Della’s nausea.

Dewey watched him with concern. “Um, L.P., aren’t you gonna finish your breakfast?”

“Nah, I’m not hungry anymore.” With those parting words, Launchpad shuffled out of the dining room.

* * *

While Launchpad obediently drove Scrooge and the Pearl of Wisdom to the museum, the rain became a steady downpour. The roads were wet and slippery, and the sky was a thick blanket of dark gray clouds. Launchpad turned on the headlights and the windshield wipers, but the rain was falling so fast and hard it did little good.

On a normal day Launchpad would have chatted his disinterested boss’s ear off about whatever subject crossed his mind, but today felt off. Della’s behavior at breakfast confused him. He had never seen her react so negatively to anything as much as she did when he was talking about Oceanika. He had no idea a tough cookie like Della could have a phobia over something as harmless as fish. True she had complained about them before, but he thought she only meant she disliked the taste of seafood. He wanted to call her later to ask if she was okay, but she still hadn’t bought a phone since she came back to Earth. He would have to wait until he got home.

In the meantime the Pearl of Wisdom was at the front of his mind. Scrooge still had it with him in a small box. Despite following his boss’s orders faithfully, Launchpad couldn’t stop thinking about the tale of how a wicked pirate captain had stolen this precious treasure from mermaids who may need it back. It just didn’t seem right to let something like that sit in a glass case gathering dust when the original owners had no idea where it was. Yes, Scrooge had gone through a lot to get the pearl, but it wasn’t his to keep. It belonged to the mermaids, who had missed it for three-hundred years.

And Oceanika, the mermaid he knew best, had once warned him about the dangers of stealing treasure from mermaids.

While Launchpad waited at a red light, he noticed the road was filling up with puddles and the gutters were like rushing rivers. The rain hadn’t let up for a second, and now there were flashes of lightning in the distance.

To his surprise, Scrooge began to speak. “So. You and Della have been getting along well lately.”

Launchpad’s heart rate increased. Suddenly he felt like he was trapped in a cage with a hungry lion. “Hehe, you think so? I guess we have.”

Scrooge’s eyes glared at him in the rearview mirror. His voice remained cool and emotionless. “You’ve also spent a lot of time together lately. Unsupervised.”

“I-Is that a problem?” Launchpad asked.

“Only if you have selfish intentions towards my niece,” Scrooge said, eyes narrowing into a steely glare as thunder rumbled in the distance. “But of course _your_ intentions are nothing but noble, aren’t they?”

“N-No, sir! My intentions are a million percent honorable!”

“Good. Because if you ever did anything to hurt my Della, anything at all, I would do much, _much_ worse than fire you. Are we clear, Mr. McQuack?”

“Crystal clear, boss.”

Scrooge frowned at the scene outside his window. “Strange. The forecast called for sunny weather all week. What meteorology expert wouldn’t see a storm like this coming?”

“I’ll turn on the news,” Launchpad said quickly, eager to change the conversation to a new topic. As he searched for the right station the raindrops hitting the windshield grew louder and faster.

“We’re getting some very strange weather today,” the forecaster said. “Heavy showers will continue for the rest of the day, with possible thunder and lightning. A coastal flood warning is also in effect, so stay away from Duckburg Bay if you can.”

“Wow, what a mess,” Launchpad remarked. “Good thing you’re not at Duckburg Bay today, Mr. McDee. You could drown!”

“You idiot!” Scrooge yelled. “My Money Bin is in Duckburg Bay! Forget about the museum! Take me to the Bin!”

Launchpad obeyed and hit the gas, running a red light and angering several other drivers who honked their horns at him. “Y’know,” he said, completely unfazed by the noise. “It’s possible the Pearl of Wisdom has something to do with this. Oceanika says…”

 _“Just drive!”_ Scrooge barked at him. He dug his flip phone out of his pocket and dialed quickly. “Miss Quackfaster! Find any information you can about the Pearl of Wisdom!”

* * *

By the time Launchpad got the limo to the Money Bin, the sea level had risen so high that it was almost touching the underside of the bridge. He parked in the garage and followed Scrooge as he hurried to the archives, where they found Miss Quackfaster pouring over several dusty old tomes of maritime legends.

“What’s the word, Quackfaster?” Scrooge asked anxiously. “Did you find anything about the Pearl?”

“I did,” the librarian replied ominously. “And it’s bad.” She showed him a book with detailed illustrations of stormy weather and cities being swallowed by the sea. “The Pearl of Wisdom is a blessing to the merfolk, but on land it brings a terrible curse. The longer it remains away from the sea, the worse the curse becomes!”

“But I found the Pearl on land,” Scrooge retorted. “And I didn’t see anything like this happening!”

“It says here the Pearl’s curse controls all the water within its range,” Quackfaster went on. “It can both give water and take it away.”

Scrooge paced back and forth, thinking hard. “Hmm. The Pearl was hidden in a network of underground tunnels that once carried water down a mountain. It was dry as bones, abandoned for hundreds of years. The curse must have created a drought that drained all the water away.”

“And now it’s punishing us with all this rain,” Quackfaster said. “The longer the Pearl stays in Duckburg, the worse this weather will get. You must return it to it’s rightful owners, or all will _perish!”_ She made a dramatic thunderclap noise and mimicked an echo with her voice. “Perish…Perish...Perish...”

“Y’know,” Launchpad started to say. “Oceanika says…”

“Blast it, McQuack!” Scrooge growled, waving his cane in his driver’s face. “This is no time to regale us with tales of your loony love affairs! I need a solution to reverse this curse!”

Launchpad took a nervous step backward. “B-B-But Oceanika’s a mermaid! Maybe she can help us!”

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this,” Quackfaster said. “But Launchpad is right. We could really use a mermaid’s help right now.”

Scrooge was too proud to admit it, but Launchpad was right. He had been right about the Pearl all along. He was Duckburg’s best hope. 

“All right, Launchpad. Tell me more about this old girlfriend of yours.”

* * *

Back at McDuck Manor no one suspected the looming danger. Killmotor Hill was the highest point in the city, keeping the mansion safe from the rising tides for the time being.

However, Della was still in a grumpy mood. It could have been the fact that she hadn’t had any sex today, or the fact that she was now keenly aware Launchpad could have sex with anyone he wanted. She already knew he had ex-lovers, but hearing about them hadn’t bothered her so much before they slept together. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. They weren’t an official couple. They were merely friends with benefits. Even so, the idea of him sleeping with someone who wasn’t her made her sick to her stomach.

Della needed a distraction from thoughts of Launchpad and the weird feelings that came with them. She chose to vent her anger by playing ‘Legends of Legend Quest’. Beating up virtual bad guys helped her relieve her urge to beat up the idiot she was developing feelings for.

Meanwhile, Della was unaware of the bet Louie and Dewey had made. The boys were determined to get their mother to reveal the truth about her feelings for Launchpad, and they would stop at nothing to get it. Huey and Webby had made no bets, but they were hovering around the corner waiting to see what would happen.

“Hello, dearest mother of mine!” Dewey said, bringing a bowl of popcorn to the couch. “I thought you might be hungry!”

“And _I_ thought you might be thirsty,” Louie said, holding a six pack of Pep in his hands.

Della spared a brief glance at them. “Thanks, boys.”

“Wow, you really like this game,” Dewey said as he seated himself next to her. “You know who else likes this game? Launchpad.”

Della scowled. She pressed a button on the control pad and brutally sliced the head off a zombie with a sword.

Louie sat on her other side and popped open a can of Pep. “You and L.P. are getting along pretty well lately, aren't you? Well, except for this morning, that is. What was _that_ all about?”

Della grunted. “Nothing.”

“Surely it wasn’t _jealousy!”_ Dewey said. “You’re just friends with Launchpad, right? I mean, it would be _super weird_ if you had a crush on my best friend!”

Della started to realize something was off. “Um…”

“Sweet innocent Dewford,” Louie said, shaking his head. “You have so much to learn about the ways of the world.”

“So do you!” Dewey retorted. “You’re younger than me!”

Della finally paused her game. “Boys, stop it! What is going on here?”

“Louie thinks you have a crush on Launchpad!” Dewey blurted out. “Tell him he’s wrong!”

Della’s blood ran cold. Her mouth went dry, her throat tightened, and her heart began to race. Oh no. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid. She had to think fast. “W-What gave you that idea?! Of course I don’t have a crush on Launchpad!”

“Hah!” Dewey scoffed. “Told ya so! Pay up, little brother.”

“Not so fast,” Louie said suspiciously. “I’m not convinced. Ever since we found you two in that cave something’s been different. You keep disappearing together, and when we finally see you again you’re all awkward and nervous. Like you’re trying to hide something.”

“I-It’s nothing,” Della said nervously. “We’ve only been doing pilot stuff together. I-I’m teaching him how to fly better. That’s the truth.”

“You’re sweating a lot for someone who’s telling the truth,” Louie said. “You wouldn’t lie to your sons, would you?”

“Of course she wouldn’t,” Dewey replied indignantly. “She’s our mom! She’d never lie to us!”

Her sons’ words twisted a knife in Della’s heart. Damn. Why did Louie have to be so sharp? Why did Dewey have to trust her so much? How was she going to get out of this mess?

**_KABOOM!_ **

A clap of thunder shook the house. The boys cried out in fear at the noise and latched onto their mother. At the same time the TV screen and all the lights flickered off and on until they went dark, plunging the entire mansion into blackness. 

Moments later the mansion’s backup generator kicked in and the lights came on once again. When her eyes adjusted Della saw that there were four shaking ducklings clinging to her instead of just two. “Huey? Webby? Where did you come from?”

“W-W-We were hiding behind the couch,” a shivering Huey admitted.

“W-We’ve been eavesdropping this whole time,” Webby said, also shivering.

Della wrapped her arms around all four kids and squeezed them tight. “Don’t worry, guys, it was just a little thunder. Everything is fine.”

**_CRASH!_ **

The sound came from downstairs. Everyone in the house rushed to find a black limousine sitting in the foyer and a giant hole where the front door used to be. 

As Launchpad staggered out of the drivers’ seat, Mrs. Beakley appeared at the top of the stairs with a broom. “What have I told you about crashing the limo inside the house?!” she shouted.

“Sorry, Mrs. Bee! I promise I’ll clean it up later.” Launchpad saw Della at the bottom of the stairs and ran straight to her. “Miss Dee, I need the keys to the Sunchaser! Right now!”

Della stared back at him. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“Mr. McDee wants me to give the Pearl of Wisdom back to the mermaids!” He reached into his pocket and held up the Pearl of Wisdom in his hand. “See, I’ve got it right here!”

Everyone gasped in unison.

“I know, right?” Launchpad went on. “Turns out the Pearl is cursed! If it stays on land too long it’ll flood Duckburg, so I gotta take it to Oceanika in the Bahamas before that happens. Mr. McDee’s not coming cuz he’s gotta protect his money from getting washed into the ocean or something.”

“Whoa, whoa, hold it!” Della interrupted. “You’re going to see your ex-girlfriend?!”

“Yep!” He reached into his jacket and took out a large pink conch shell. “I called her on this magic shell, and she says the Pearl of Wisdom belonged to her ancestors. So can I have the keys, please?”

Della folded her arms and frowned. “Not so fast. First of all, my plane is called the _Cloudslayer_. Second of all, you can’t fly a plane in a thunderstorm. You should take the sub instead. And third, like hell I’m letting you hand over a dangerous artifact to some fishy floozy. I’m going with you.”

“Are you sure you wanna do that?” Launchpad asked, brows knitting together with worry. “I know how much you hate fish. If we take the sub to the Bahamas there’ll be fish everywhere.”

Della’s face turned somewhat green at the thought of being surrounded by fish. However, the thought of Launchpad in the arms of a mermaid fueled her anger. “I don’t care. I’m going with you, and that’s final.”

Webby looked like she was about to explode with joy. “Eeeee! A mermaid adventure! All of my dreams are coming true! Can we go with them, Granny? Please say yes!”

Beakley shook her head. “Not this time, Webbigail. If Launchpad’s right about this curse, the stormy weather will follow the Pearl wherever it goes. I’d rather have you here then sailing through an endless storm.”

“What about us?” Dewey asked. “We’re going with you, right, mom?”

“Not this time, boys,” Della said. “I’m with Beakley on this one. It’s gonna be rough seas out there, and I don’t want you anywhere near them.”

Huey, Dewey, and Louie exchanged dubious looks with each other. This sounded suspiciously like Della was about to run off with Launchpad to do whatever they did when they were alone, only to come back acting weirder than ever.

Dewey pouted and folded his arms. “Fine. Go do your weird pilot stuff with Launchpad. Whatever.”

Della’s heart twinged with guilt. She got down on one knee and pulled her boys in close. “I’m sorry, guys. I wish there was time to answer all your questions. When I come home, I’ll tell you the truth.”

“Do you promise?” Dewey asked.

Della raised her right hand in a solemn two-fingered salute. “Woodchuck’s honor.”

Huey gasped in reverent awe. “You can’t back out of Woodchuck’s honor,” he said seriously. “It's an unbreakable oath.”

“Yep.” Della said. “That’s why I’m doing it. I’ll never break a promise to my boys.”

As Launchpad watched this scene, he began to sense that something important had happened while he was away. Whatever Della was promising to tell the boys must be of dire seriousness for her to make such a promise.

“I second that Woodchuck’s honor oath,” He solemnly raised one hand with two fingers extended in a salute. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to your mom.”

Della felt her stomach twist again. She and Launchpad were going to have to talk about this, and it wasn’t going to be fun.

* * *

_To be continued…_

Bonus art by me, starring Oceanika! She will make her first appearance in the next chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering why the Pearl's curse didn't kick in until today even though it's been in Scrooge's possession for several days, I have a simple answer; I didn't think that far ahead when I started this story.


	8. The One That Got Away

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to  **Race the Derp** , who is so far the one and only person on FanFiction.net to leave a review on this story. It means a lot to me that you’d follow me here from AO3 and reread it. You're a very classy person for doing that. Thanks a lot!

* * *

Della and Launchpad’s destination was an obscure little island called Banana Island, a place Della had never heard of but Launchpad was familiar with. It was in the Atlantic Ocean where the Bermuda Triangle and the Sargasso Sea overlapped. In better weather conditions flying straight there would have been three times faster. Instead they were taking the long route, which took them south past the coast of Mexico, through the Panama Canal, and northeast through the Caribbean Sea.

In other words, this was going to be a really long trip.

The Pearl of Wisdom was now in Launchpad’s possession. The cursed storm followed the Pearl out of Duckburg with them and turned into a squall at sea. Fortunately they barely noticed all the rain from inside Scrooge’s little yellow submarine, hundreds of leagues below the surface. However poor Della quickly regretted stepping foot inside the submarine. Right out of the gate there were fish everywhere. Any time one came near her window she went into fight or flight mode.

Naturally Launchpad took up the role of comforting her. “It’s okay, Miss Dee. Those are just sardines. They’re harmless.”

“You say that now,” Della grumbled. “But just wait until they’re all swarming around us.” 

As soon as she said those words, a thick cloud of sardines swam past the submarine’s port side, their shiny silver scales flashing with sunlight. She screamed and swerved the sub wildly to dodge them, sending Launchpad flying out of his seat and crashing right into her. They both smacked into the wall and landed on the floor, with Launchpad on top of Della.

For an instant both of them blushed, remembering the last time they were positioned like this, making love in the backseat of Scrooge’s limo. Then Launchpad remembered Scrooge’s warnings to him in the same limo earlier that day.

_ If you ever did anything to hurt my Della, anything at all, I would do much, much worse than fire you. _

Launchpad bolted off of Della, straightened his cap, and chuckled nervously. “Hehe… Maybe I should do the steering for a while.”

Della cleared her throat and stood up. “Maybe you should. I’m gonna go use the latrine.”

While Launchpad steered the sub back on course, Della staggered away from the bridge to the other end of the sub where the latrine was. So far this adventure wasn’t going well at all, and the fish weren’t her only problem. Her last conversation with her boys still sounded in her mind, and she still had no idea how she was going to keep her promise to tell them the truth about her and Launchpad. The thought alone was enough to make her nausea worse.

She paused to gag and choke down her rising breakfast.

After taking care of her nausea, Della returned to her seat beside Launchpad. He was doing a fine job keeping the sub moving in a straight line, and the path before them was clear of fish for the time being. 

“Welcome back,” Launchpad said with a smile. “Feelin’ any better?”

“Just barely,” Della complained. 

She took a moment to stare out into the deep blue abyss ahead. She still needed to talk to Launchpad about her promise to the boys. Not a conversation she was looking forward to, but they had plenty of time for that later. For now she needed to focus on how she was going to deal with meeting his ex.

“I still can’t believe you dated a mermaid,” she grumbled. “That’s so gross.”

To her surprise, Launchpad glared at her. His eyes were hard and cold with furrowed brows in a sharp V shape. His grip on the yoke tightened, causing his knuckles to stand out and turn white. “Don’t you talk about Oceanika like that,” he said, softly yet sternly. “You don’t even know her.”

For once Della was speechless. She rarely saw him get offended like this. It felt so wrong that it made her nervous. All she could say was “S-Sorry.”

Her apology seemed to calm him. His grip loosened and his face softened from righteous anger to mild annoyance. “Why do you hate fish so much, anyway? Did a fish hurt your feelings when you were a kid?”

Relieved, Della shrugged. “I can’t pinpoint it to one incident. All I know is that they’ve freaked me out since I was little. Everything about them gives me the creeps.” She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her queasy stomach. “They’re slimy, they’re smelly, and they’re always watching you with those cold, dead, unblinking eyes. Like they’re staring straight into the depths of your  _ soul.” _

He arched his brows. “If it makes you feel better, Oceanika gets legs when she’s on land.”

She took a deep breath to regain her composure and stared straight ahead. “It doesn’t.”

A long moment of awkward silence passed.

“So,” Della said. “Oceanika, was it? What’s her deal? Tell me about her.”

“You sure you wanna know?” Launchpad said hesitantly. “She’s part fish.”

“If I’m going to meet her I want to know more about her,” Della said. “Just edit out the fishy parts.”

“Alright, if you say so.” He paused to think. “Let’s see, I met Oceanika about four years ago…”

* * *

> Before he worked for Scrooge McDuck, Launchpad was an independent pilot. He owned a little red seaplane called the Joyrider back then and his work took him all over the world. One day he had been flying from Puerto Rico to Florida and his route took him straight through the Bermuda Triangle. His fellow pilots had warned him to beware of those cursed waters. There were tales of merpeople out there, raising storms with their songs to crash airplanes and sink ships. He didn’t believe those stories until he was caught in a freak hurricane.
> 
> The Joyrider was damaged and there was no land where he could make an emergency landing. He crashed straight into the ocean where the angry waves swallowed his plane up and beat him down. His attempts to stay above water were futile.
> 
> As he was sinking in the cold dark waters, lungs screaming for air, he saw something colorful swimming toward him. He couldn’t make out what it was, just a blurry shape that moved like a fish. As it came closer he saw it was a female duck with long red hair. From the waist down she had a long tail covered in glistening scales and ending in sheer fins.
> 
> Then he blacked out.
> 
> When Launchpad awoke he was lying face up in a tidepool on the coast of a tiny island in the Bahamas. And he was not alone. The female duck from the storm was still with him, her face mere inches from his, and she was staring at him with big golden eyes.
> 
> Startled, he tried to scramble away and slipped on the moss covered rocks. “Aaaah! Take all my money! I won’t call the cops!”
> 
> The female duck laughed, a sound like silver bells tinkling. “What are you saying? I’m not going to hurt you.”
> 
> Launchpad stopped to get a better look at her. She was a breathtaking sight, a voluptuous beauty with a generous bosom, a plump belly, and wide hips. Her face was round with chubby cheeks and gold almond shaped eyes, thick strawberry blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and past her hips. Her only articles of clothing were a gray bandeau top keeping her breasts covered, a pair of gold bracelets, and a scallop shell necklace. In place of legs she had a long tail stretched out in the pool behind her. It was easily more than half her length and looked thick and strong, with sheer golden fins and matching scales that glittered in the morning sunlight.
> 
> Launchpad stared at her with wonder, his wet bangs dripping in his eyes and his jaw going slack. “Wow. You’re… You’re a  _ mermaid  _ .”
> 
> “And you’re a land duck,” the mermaid said. She folded her arms, pushing her bosom slightly upward, and rested on a boulder. “Do you have a name, land duck?”
> 
> He was distracted by how her lovely breasts swelled as they sat on her arms. He wished that bandeau wasn’t in the way, blocking what was sure to be an even more wonderful view. Then he coughed, pushed his wet bangs away from his face and tried to regain his composure. 
> 
> “Padlaunch. Paunchlad.  _ Launchpad.  _ I’m a pilot! What’s yours?”
> 
> Her smile became smug, as if she was pleased with how flustered he had become. Then she arched her brows and repeated the unfamiliar word. “Launchpad? That’s a funny name. I’m Oceanika.”
> 
> “Oceanika,” he sighed, smiling stupidly. “What a beautiful name.” 

* * *

In the present Launchpad was also grinning like an idiot. “Ahhh, sweet Oceanika. How quickly she stole my heart.”

He was so lost in his fond memories that he nearly steered the sub into the side of a cliff. Della grabbed the yoke and wrenched them back on course just in time. Then she rolled her eyes and gave Launchpad a punch in the arm.

“Ow!” he whined. “What was that for?”

“That's for not watching where you’re going,” she scolded. “What happened next?”

“Hmm. Where was I?” he wondered aloud. “Ah, yes. We had just introduced ourselves...”

* * *

> “Thanks a lot for saving my life,” Launchpad said. “Did you see where my plane went? I need that to get home.”
> 
> Oceanika tipped her head to one side. “That weird winged contraption you were inside of? It’s at the bottom of the sea by now.”
> 
> His face fell. “Oh no! What am I gonna do? I can’t live on a tiny desert island for the rest of my life!”
> 
> While he panicked Oceanika thought for a moment. “I could bring it here to you.”
> 
> “You could?” Launchpad gasped. “That would be great! But how is a little thing like you gonna move something that big all by yourself?”
> 
> “You’ll see. I’ll be back soon!” With those parting words she ducked her head underwater and swam out into the open sea.
> 
> Not knowing when Oceanika would return, Launchpad went into the forest to search for food and drinking water. He was lucky enough to find several kinds of fruit and nut trees on the island and a freshwater lake. Hours later, after eating and drinking his fill, he waited on the beach for Oceanika. Just when he thought she wasn’t coming back he saw a large shape moving quickly through the water.
> 
> Soon Launchpad saw that the shape was the Joyrider riding its pontoons along the ocean’s surface like a water skier. It was being pulled on ropes by something underwater, something extremely big and strong. When the plane finally neared the shore, a huge monstrous creature rose up out of the waves. It looked like a horrifying hybrid of a shark and an octopus covered in seaweed, and it was crawling up onto the beach with its thick, slippery tentacles.
> 
> As he screamed and cowered in fear, he heard a familiar friendly voice. It was Oceanika, seated comfortably on the back of the shark-octopus creature. “Hello, Launchpad! I brought you your plane!”
> 
> Launchpad stared up at her in disbelief and waved meekly up at her. “H-Hi… Who’s your friend?”
> 
> “This is Lusca,” Oceanika replied, giving the monster an affectionate pat. “She did all the heavy lifting. Thank you, darling, I couldn’t have done this without you.”
> 
> Oceanika then slid down from Lusca’s back and plopped on the dry sand. To Launchpad’s amazement her lower half shed its scales and melted into a pair of curvaceous duck legs with thick thighs and a fluffy round butt with a perky tail. When she stood up her height was just a little taller than his shoulder.
> 
> Launchpad’s jaw dropped. “Whoa...You’re hot with legs, too!”
> 
> Seeing his reaction, Oceanika closed his slack jaw with one hand and smirked. “Don’t stand there gaping like a codfish. Let’s pull your plane on dry land.”
> 
> “Uh, r-right! Let’s do that!”

* * *

With an annoyed grunt, Della punched Launchpad in the arm.

“Ow!” he whined, rubbing the sore spot. “You’re gonna leave a bruise.”

“Stop pausing to ramble about how hot she is,” Della said. “Stick to the plot.”

“You’re no fun,” Launchpad pouted. “Let’s see. After that…”

* * *

> After that Launchpad and Oceanika took the ropes from Lusca and pulled the plane up on land together. He was impressed with how strong the mermaid was. All that swimming around in the ocean must be a great workout. 
> 
> Then Launchpad began repairing his damaged plane. While he worked Oceanika hung around to watch him and asked him all kinds of questions. She was absolutely fascinated by his stories of flying in an airplane, and he was fascinated by her stories of life under the sea. They were so interested in each other that they didn’t notice how much time was passing. 
> 
> It was past noon when Launchpad finally finished repairing the Joyrider. “Now it’s time for a test flight,” he said.
> 
> Oceanika was seated on one of the pontoons. “What is it like to fly?”
> 
> “Flying is like...it’s kinda like swimming, but different.” He waved an arm at the sky above them. “When you’re up there in the big blue sky, looking down on the world from above, all your problems seem so far away. That’s what real freedom is like.”
> 
> She gazed up at the clouds and sighed. “You make it sound so lovely. I wish I could fly like that someday.”
> 
> “You wanna come for a joyride?”
> 
> Her golden eyes lit up. “Really? You mean it?”
> 
> “Of course,” he said with a smile. “It’s the least I can do after you helped me so much.”
> 
> Oceanika was so overjoyed that she grabbed Launchpad in a wet, half-naked hug that turned his face red.
> 
> Launchpad helped Oceanika into her seat and showed her how to fasten the seatbelt. Then he gave her an extra headset to protect her hearing. Despite this protection she was terrified by the loud roar of the engine. The noise drowned out her scream as he steered the plane forward and lifted off. She squeezed her eyes shut and clung to his arm until he felt pins and needles in his fingers.
> 
> Then, once they were airborne, Launchpad told her to look out the window. For the first time in her life Oceanika saw the ocean from above and was completely spellbound. They were surrounded on all sides by fluffy white clouds and turquoise blue skies. The island below was a little green crescent framed by white sand beaches and an endless expanse of deep blue water that turned deeper and darker as it spread further and further away.
> 
> Launchpad flew some laps around the island until he was sure Oceanika was no longer afraid. Then he offered to show her some tricks, which she readily agreed to. He performed loops, rolls, and spins for her and she whooped and laughed with delight.
> 
> But then Oceanika began to get airsick, and Launchpad was forced to bring the plane down for an emergency landing. Sadly he wasn’t fast enough and he crashed straight into the ocean again.

* * *

“Poor kid,” Launchpad said sympathetically. “She lost her lunch and most of her breakfast all over the windshield.” 

Della sniggered with schadenfreude.

* * *

> Luckily the Joyrider didn’t suffer as much damage on its second crash into the ocean. While Launchpad brought the plane to shore and got to work cleaning up, Oceanika had to rest in the water to recover from her first flight. 
> 
> When he was finished Launchpad went to check on her in the tide pool where she brought him that morning. She was napping at the bottom of the pool with her shiny golden tail stretched out and her long red hair spread out like a blanket around her head. He stopped at the edge of the pool to admire her beauty through the ripples. Then her eyes opened suddenly. Startled, he lost his balance and fell in with a loud  **splash** .
> 
> Oceanika caught him in her arms and lifted him back to the surface. “What are you doing?” she asked, not at all angry.
> 
> “I-I’m sorry!” Launchpad sputtered, seated bridal style in the mermaid’s arms. “I didn’t mean to wake you! I-I just wanted to make sure you were okay!”
> 
> She smiled at him. “I’m feeling much better now, thank you.” Then she glanced away, looking the most timid and embarrassed he’d seen her since meeting her. “I am so, so sorry for making such a mess in your plane,” she said, hanging her head with shame. “I had no idea that would happen.”
> 
> Launchpad chuckled and shrugged it off. “This ain’t the first time somebody’s hurled inside the Joyrider. Or outside of it. You did pretty well for your first flight.”
> 
> “Despite all that,” Oceanika said. “I had such a wonderful time! It was like swimming, but windier and louder! Thank you for showing me your world today. Now I want to show you what my world is like. Would you like that?”
> 
> “Underwater? Gee, I’d love to, but I left my scuba gear at home.”
> 
> She smiled back at him coyly. “You won’t be needing that. I’ll just do what I did to save you from drowning.”
> 
> Before Launchpad could ask her what she meant, Oceanika moved in and pressed her beak to his. Her kiss was warm and wet and tasted like both seawater and coconut milk, a delicious salty sweet flavor. He was only surprised for a moment, then he entwined his arms around her plush waist and pressed her full-figured body close to his. He didn’t even notice when she pulled him under, nor did he notice he was still able to breathe.

* * *

“Whoa, whoa, back up!” Della interrupted. “She  _ kissed _ you? On the same day you met her?!” 

“Yeah, so I could breathe underwater,” Launchpad said simply. “That mermaid magic is really something!”

Della stared at him with wide eyes, her temper quickly rising. “Did you do anything besides kissing?”

“Sure we did,” Launchpad replied casually, completely oblivious to her rising temper. “We went swimming, she took me to her place, and then she tried to introduce me to her family, but that did  _ not _ go well--”

_ “Did you have sex with her?”  _ Della snapped.

Launchpad finally noticed the anger in her voice. He took one look at her and knew he was trapped. He hemmed and hawed, searching for a way to answer her without really answering her. “Sex? Why would I...W-why would you think…W-Well that depends on your definition of ‘sex’. ” 

“We’ve been off and on sex buddies ever since.”

Della’s stomach sank like a stone.  _ Sex buddies. _ He had another sex buddy, one he had known much longer than her. And he was talking about it so casually, like it was no big deal. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat. She raised her shaking fists in front of her and scowled. “When were you planning on telling me about this?”

Launchpad shrank away from her in his chair. “Are you mad?”

_ “Mad?  _ No of course I’m not mad!” As she ranted her eye was twitching while she gesticulated wildly with both hands. “Why would I be mad about you having a sex buddy besides me?”

“H-Hey!” Launchpad interrupted, frowning back. “I haven’t slept with her in a long time! This is gonna be my first time seeing her in months!”

“Were you planning to sleep with her on this trip?” Della accused. “We have an arrangement.  _ I’m  _ your sex buddy now!”

“What?!” Launchpad’s voice rose in volume as he sat up straighter. “Yesterday you said you wanted to slow things down! Now you’re saying you want to be my only sex buddy!” He looked her straight in the eye. “What do you  _ want _ from me, Della?”

For the second time that day Della was speechless. Launchpad had never raised his voice to her like this before. His words struck a chord in her as well.

What  _ did _ she want?

Suddenly a shadow loomed over the sub. While the two pilots were arguing they had stopped paying attention to where they were going. They didn’t notice they had accidentally steered the sub toward a towering cliffside until it was too late.

**BAM**

* * *

_ To be continued... _


	9. Confessions of a Future Ex-Girlfriend

**_BAM_ **

The sub crashed into the cliffside at full speed, kicking up a cloud of dust and bubbles. The impact created a rockslide that brought a hail of boulders on top of them. The sub was sent tumbling downward and Della and Launchpad were both thrown screaming from their seats. Launchpad grabbed Della, pulled her flat against him, and curled up in a protective ball around her. She in turn dug her fingers into his shirt and squeezed her eyes shut.

The sub slammed into the ground on its starboard side and two pilots crashed to the floor with Launchpad under Della. They were both breathing fast and shaking, staring into each other’s wide, shocked eyes.

“You okay?” Launchpad asked worriedly. He was bruised and aching all over from his hard landing, but his first thought was to make sure Della was safe.

“Y-Yeah,” Della said shakily. 

Launchpad was cut off by a small jet of water spraying him in the face. Then another one spurted at the back of Della’s head. The submarine's windows were both full of cracks that were now slowly leaking water into the sub.

Della jumped to her feet and screamed in frustration, hopping up and down and flailing her fists with rage. _“You idiot!_ ” she spat angrily. “Look what you did! Now the sub is flooding and we’re gonna drown at the bottom of the ocean!”

Launchpad was only surprised for a moment. He frowned back at her and stood up to his full height. “Hey! It wasn’t my fault this time! If you weren’t yelling at me I wouldn’t have crashed!”

She jabbed an accusing finger at him. “If _you_ hadn’t told me you sleep with your exes I wouldn’t have yelled at you!”

He threw his arms up and groaned. This woman was driving him crazy in a way few people ever could. “There you go again! Why are you so mad about that? Why is this such a big deal to you?!”

“ _Because it_ ** _is_** _a big deal!_ ” she yelled back. “This isn’t a game to me, Launchpad! Not anymore! I don’t want to be another name on your endless list of exes!”

Launchpad stared at Della with surprise. “Huh?”

Her cheeks became flushed with anger. Her fists clenched and trembled all over with emotion. “You asked me earlier what I want, and now I’m asking you. What do _you_ want from _me?”_

This time Launchpad was stunned into speechlessness.

They were so busy arguing that they failed to notice how quickly the little submarine was flooding. The water level was now up to Launchpad’s waist and Della’s chest, and still rising. 

Then something hard tapped rhythmically on the window above their heads. It was hard to make out what was on the other side with all the water pouring through the cracked glass. Launchpad recognized a flash of strawberry blonde hair and a glittery gold fish tail.

“Oceanika!” Launchpad fished the pink conch shell out of his jacket and spoke into it. “Boy, am I glad to see you!”

“Hello, dear!” the mermaid’s silvery voice replied. “No time for small talk. I’m going to break you out of there.”

“She says she’s gonna break us out of here!” He paused, hearing something else. “Also she says we should hold our breath.”

Suddenly a large boulder smashed a hole through the window and let more water pour into the submarine. The two ducks held their breaths as their surroundings were completely submerged. Then Oceanika appeared in the broken window into the submarine. Della saw that she looked exactly the way Launchpad had described her in his story.

“Take my hand!” Oceanika called out, her voice ringing clearly underwater as she stretched forth one hand.

Keeping his beak shut, Launchpad smiled with relief and reached for Oceanika’s hand, then reached for Della. But she backed away and shook her head, looking pale and frightened.

Then Launchpad realized they had a big problem; Della was terrified of fish.

Two different survival instincts were battling within Della’s mind. She knew she couldn’t hold her breath forever, that to stay in the submarine was certain death. But her ichthyophobia warned her that letting the mermaid touch her was a fate worse than death. Unfortunately the ichthyophobia was winning.

And then, seeing Della’s reluctance, Oceanika swam through the broken window to help Launchpad catch her. This made her fish half fully visible to Della and scared her even more. She backed up against the wall and tried to flatten her body as much as possible, shaking her head frantically from side to side. Launchpad tried to use hand gestures to tell Oceanika to back off, but this plan failed.

“Don’t be afraid,” Oceanika said to Della, her voice sweet and gentle as she approached slowly. “I’m here to help.”

Della kicked her legs up and down wildly, trying to drive Oceanika away, but she caught her by her prosthetic leg. Panicking, Della detached the prosthesis from her stump and kicked Oceanika in the face with her flesh foot. The kick sent Oceanika crashing backwards into Launchpad and gave Della the chance to swim away. However she discovered immediately that taking off her prosthetic was a mistake. One-legged swimming was much harder than anticipated.

This made it easy for Launchpad and Oceanika to catch her at last. They each caught one of her arms and dragged her through the broken window together. Della screamed, letting brackish water pour into her mouth and down her throat. She tried to free herself from their grasp but they were too strong and her own strength was almost gone. Her lungs were burning and her eyes were stinging from the saltwater.

She lost consciousness before they made it to the surface.

* * *

The island they washed up on was not Banana Island. That was still thousands of miles away. This was a larger and more mountainous island in the Carribean Sea. The Pearl of Wisdom’s rainstorm was still following them, making the sky gray and rainy while thunder rumbled all around.

Launchpad and Oceanika brought Della’s unconscious body to shore. He didn’t wait for Oceanika’s fins to become legs and ran off with Della in his arms. He found shelter under a tree, where he laid her face up on the sand. He checked her vital signs and found that she had a pulse but wasn’t breathing. She looked so small and helpless lying limp on the sand. It made him sick to his stomach.

“Della!” he said loudly. “Hey, Della!” He shook her firmly in the hope that she would wake up. No such luck.

Oceanika caught up with him. The land was still wet and her fins remained fins, forcing her to half crawl, half slither up the wet beach. “Your friend swallowed quite a bit of water,” she said with a worried frown.

Launchpad’s mind raced. This couldn’t happen. He couldn’t let this happen. His last words to Della’s sons were _‘I promise I won’t let anything happen to your mom’_ and he had blown it. He had to fix this. He had to save her.

“Stay back,” he said to Oceanika. “I’m gonna use mouth to mouth.”

Launchpad had learned the procedure as part of his training to become a Junior Woodchuck Scoutmaster. He only hoped he wouldn’t hurt Della the same way he hurt all those CPR dummies. He carefully pulled her beak open and tilted her head sideways to let excess water drain out. Then he turned her face upward, lowered his beak down to hers, and blew a strong breath into her lungs. After four breaths he held his ear over her beak and listened for any signs of life.

Della’s chest began to move almost immediately. Then she was choking and coughing as more water came up out of her lungs.

Launchpad’s heart leapt in his chest and tears pricked at his eyes. “It worked! You’re alive!” He lifted her up to help her clear her lungs and rubbed her back gently. “That’s it, get all that water out. You’re doing great.”

When her coughing finally slowed down Della gazed up at him blearily, soaking wet and exhausted. “Launchpad?” she asked in a hoarse voice. “What happened?”

“You were out cold,” he said softly. “I did mouth to mouth on you.”

“Oh,” she said, a light blush stealing across her cheeks. The thought crossed her mind that the rescue procedure had counted as a kiss. 

Then her eyes widened. Her head whipped around to see Oceanika seated on her other side, smiling sweetly and still bearing her fins.

“Hello,” the mermaid said with a small wave.

Della screamed in terror and raised her fists. “Aaaaaa! Fish! Get away from me!” 

Startled, Oceanika yelped and shielded her face with her arms. “Aaaaa! Don’t hit me again!”

“Hey, hey!” Launchpad exclaimed, trying to hold Della back. “Ladies! Calm down! Sorry, Oceanika, I should have warned you that Della’s afraid of fish.”

“I can see that,” Oceanika said worriedly. “I still have the bruise to prove it.”

Della struggled in Launchpad’s arms a bit longer but her energy was just too low for her to fight. She collapsed and gasped for breath but her eyes stayed on the mermaid. “J-Just stay over there. Don’t come near me.”

Oceanika was dismayed by Della’s hostility, but it did not anger her. Instead she turned her focus to Launchpad and put on a good-natured smile. “Well, now that we’re all safe, do you have the Pearl of Wisdom?”

Launchpad’s head perked up. In all the excitement he had nearly forgotten what the point of this adventure was. “Oh yeah! I’ve got it right here.” He fished the large pearl out of his jacket and offered it to the mermaid. 

The instant Oceanika took the Pearl in her hands the rain stopped and the thunder went quiet. Warm sunlight shone down on the island as the clouds parted. The curse of the storm was finally broken. Her golden eyes grew bright with wonder and delight. “This is a great deed you have done today, my friend. After 300 years my family’s long lost treasure is returning home!” 

Then Oceanika stretched her bandeau top open and placed the Pearl of Wisdom between her breasts. It was completely engulfed in her cleavage and left no sign that it was there when she put the bandeau back in place. Launchpad had seen her use her cleavage to hold things like this many times (few mermaids wore clothes with pockets, after all) but he still couldn’t help staring, transfixed at this casually risqué display. 

Then Launchpad heard an annoyed grunt and saw Della glaring at him with a frown on her face. He cleared his throat and sheepishly turned his eyes to the ground. “Speaking of returning home, we could still use your help, Oceanika. We need to fix our sub.”

“Yes, of course,” she replied. “It’s the least I can do for you. I’ll get Lusca to help me move it. In the meantime you two should get some rest.” She started to leave but paused. “Oh! Miss Della, I have something of yours.”

She produced Della’s prosthetic leg tangled all over with seaweed. Neither Launchpad nor Della saw where she had been keeping it all this time. With a growl, Della snatched the leg back and grumbled something that might have been a reluctant ‘thank you’.

While Oceanika made her way back to the water an awkward silence fell over the two pilots. Launchpad shed his soggy cap and jacket and hung them on a tree branch to dry. Meanwhile Della removed the seaweed and poured the last drops of water out of her prosthetic. Their last conversation in the sub had been their first big argument. Now the air between them felt heavy and charged with unspoken tensions.

After Della fastened her prosthesis back into place she stood up and started shedding her wet clothes as well. Launchpad kept his back turned to her while he stripped down to his underwear. He didn’t have the right to see her naked anymore, not after he messed everything up so badly

“I’m sorry,” Launchpad said at last. “This is all my fault.”

She stayed quiet and kept her back to him. Her wet cap and scarf were on the ground by her feet.

He looked down at his boots and twisted his T-shirt over and over. “I messed up,” he went on. “I promised the boys I’d protect you and you almost drowned. Now we’re stuck here because I crashed the sub.”

“Stop apologizing,” Della said tonelessly. “I’m not dead, and we did what we came here to do. This adventure was a success”

Launchpad frowned in confusion. “So why are you still mad?”

She let out a long sigh. “I knew this adventure was gonna be rougher than most. I knew there’d be fish everywhere and that I would hate meeting your ex. But I came anyway because I was…” She trailed off and went quiet again.

Concerned, Launchpad looked at her over his shoulder. “You were what?”

Della kept her back to him. She had stripped all the way down to her wet T-shirt and shorts. Her white hair was soaked and clinging to the back of her head. Her trembling shoulders gave away her rising temper. “Jealous!” she blurted out. “I was jealous, okay? I thought if you were alone with her you’d want to stay with her and forget all about me!”

He turned to face her back, hands hanging loosely at his sides. “Della, it’s not like that with us. Not anymore.”

“What about your other exes?” At last she turned around to face him with eyes full of anger and pain. “I don’t like sharing my partners, Launchpad. Back in the sub you asked me what I want from you. Now I have an answer; I want _you_.”

Launchpad stared stupidly at her. “Buh?”

Della gave him a frustrated push with both hands. “ _You,_ you idiot! I want to wake up with you every morning, and fall asleep with you at night. I want to be the only woman _you_ want. And I don’t want to share you with anybody else.”

For a long moment Launchpad was speechless. This was not something he ever expected Della to say to him. He had never imagined this scenario in his head and had no script to work from. So he stood there frozen like a statue.

The longer he was silent the angrier Della became. “Don’t just stand there! Aren’t you gonna say anything?!”

Launchpad looked away and raised one hand to scratch nervously behind his head. “I...I don’t know what to say. This is a lot to take in.”

“Then just tell me one thing,” she said in a shaky voice. “Are you serious about me, or am I just another future ex-girlfriend to you?”

He went quiet again. His expression became one of uncertainty. “I don’t know.”

Della felt as though he had punched her in the chest. Her heart shattered into a million pieces, leaving only an empty hole. She turned her back to him once more so he couldn’t see the hot tears stinging her eyes. “Fine,” she said coldly. “If you’re not serious about me, this game is over.”

Launchpad’s head whipped around to look at her with horror. “No! That’s not what I meant!”

She ignored him and started off toward the woods. Tears were already running down her cheeks and she refused to let him see her cry again. But of course he tried to follow her. To her surprise he grabbed her by the shoulder.

“You don’t understand,” he begged. “Would you please just wait a minute?”

Something inside Della snapped then. She whirled around and gave Launchpad a hard shove that knocked him flat on his rear. The look of pained surprise on his face made her stomach lurch.

“Leave me alone,” she growled. “I’m done playing games with you.”

With that Della stomped off into the forest, leaving a confused and heartbroken Launchpad behind.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	10. Nothing Can Stop Launchpad McQuack!

When Oceanika returned to the island with Lusca and the broken sub, she found a semi-nude Launchpad sulking on the beach. The sand was now dry enough for her fins to become voluptuous legs. As she approached Launchpad she saw he was using a long stick to draw gloomy, distracted doodles in the sand. So far he had drawn a frowny face with tears, a crashed airplane on fire, and a broken heart. He didn’t notice Oceanika was there until she cast her shadow over his drawing. Even then he didn’t look up. 

“Hey,” Launchpad said, his voice dull and heavy.

Oceanika frowned with worry. “Where did Miss Della go?”

“She went for a walk,” he said tonelessly.

Oceanika arched a skeptical brow and folded her arms. She had known Launchpad long enough to recognize when he was fibbing. “You had a fight with her, didn’t you?”

Launchpad groaned dramatically and flopped back on the sand, draping one arm across his eyes. With anyone else he would pretend everything was fine, but that was impossible with Oceanika. She knew him too well.

She sat down next to him and put a comforting hand on his arm. “Tell me everything.”

He groaned again before answering her. “She told me she wanted to get ‘serious’,” he said, making air quotes with his fingers. “When she asked how I felt about her I froze up. Then she stormed off.”

“Oh, no.” Oceanika sighed and rubbed one temple. She had known him long enough to recognize this pattern coming up again and again in his relationships. “Didn’t you try to go after her?”

He shook his head. “She was so mad. I didn’t even know what to say to her.”

Oceanika gazed out at the ocean, deep in thought. Seeing Launchpad so broken-hearted was depressing. Despite their complicated history he was one of her closest friends and his happiness meant the world to her. She needed to give him a pep talk right away before his moping got any worse.

“Launchpad,” she said at last. “Do you remember why you and I broke up?”

He nodded listlessly. “Your family hates land-dwellers. They wanted to kill me when you tried to introduce me to them. I had to run for my life. Even then we tried to make it work long-distance, but it was too hard on both of us.”

“That's right,” Oceanika said. “Ever since Captain Blackbeard betrayed my mother and stole the Pearl of Wisdom three hundred years ago, land-dwellers have been our enemies.” She placed one hand over his. “That’s why I was so excited when you first told me about Miss Della. She sounded so perfect for you. None of the other lovers you’ve told me about had so much in common with you as she did. You two are a perfect match.”

Launchpad scratched the back of his head, cheeks turning pink. “Gee, I dunno about that.”

“It’s true,” Oceanika went on. “You also live in the same world, in the same house. And even better, her family doesn’t hate you. There’s nothing getting in your way.”

Launchpad quickly sat upright with wide eyes. “H-Hey, it’s not that easy! I can’t just jump into something like this, not after…” He trailed off, remembering Scrooge’s threat to him in the limo that morning and his steely-eyed glare in the rear view mirror.

At the moment Oceanika was giving him a stern look of her own. Her golden eyes which normally warm and sweet as honey were now hard and cold as metal. “Do you love her?”

He gaped at her, eyes all but bulging from his head. “Buh?!”

“Do you love her?” she repeated more firmly.

Launchpad’s mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish gasping for air. Why was everyone asking him such hard questions today? His poor brain couldn’t come up with an answer fast enough. Instead of words only stammering came out, accompanied by squirming and fidgeting.

“I-I-I…W-Well, ya see...That is, what I mean is…L-Love is such a strong word!”

Oceanika’s stern expression remained fixed. “Yes or no. Just say yes or no.”

“I don’t know!” he cried, flopping back on the sand in defeat and hiding his burning face with both hands. “Believe me, I wish I knew,” he muttered. “It would make this a whole lot easier.” He lifted his head and gazed up at the clouds. “I want to find out, but...what if I’m not good enough for her?”

Suddenly Oceanika seized his arm, hauled him to his feet, and dragged him up the beach towards the jungle at a brisk pace. Her strength surprised him once again as he stumbled and tripped over himself trying to keep up with her.

“Hey! Slow down! What are you doing?”

At the edge of the jungle she stopped walking and turned around to face him. Her golden eyes were hard and metallic, and her beak was set in a frown. “You’re going to look for Miss Della,” she said. “You need to make things right with her before it’s too late.”

“But…”

She placed a finger over his beak. “No more buts. ”

Launchpad was stunned by how much Oceanika reminded him of Della in that moment. She was so sweet-natured that it was easy to forget how fierce she could be. And it made him more nervous to confront Della, who was just as fierce and in a foul mood.

“Will you back me up?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Seeing me would only make her angrier. Besides, I still have to go home and give the Pearl of Wisdom back to my mother.”

Launchpad shifted his weight from one foot to another. “I dunno if I can do this alone. Della’s pretty scary when she’s mad.”

Oceanika lightly punched his upper arm. “That’s not the Launchpad I know. You’re fearless! You laugh in the face of danger! No matter how many times you crash, you get right back up in the air! There is nothing you can’t do once you set your mind to it! Nothing can stop you!”

A smile tugged at the corners of his beak. It moved him to see how much she believed in him, and he felt his old confidence starting to come back. He stood up tall and resolute, shoulders squared and brows furrowed with determination. 

“You’re right,” he said. “Nothing can stop Launchpad McQuack! I’m gonna track Della down and tell her how I feel!”

“That’s the spirit!” Oceanika cheered. “Oh wait, don’t go yet. You need flowers.”

* * *

Meanwhile Della had found her way to a small lagoon. It was a peaceful and picturesque place, a pool of crystal clear turquoise water surrounded by thatch palms, mangroves, and coconut trees. Colorful flowers with sweet scents bloomed all around and tropical birds could be heard singing in the foliage. But Della was too miserable to appreciate any of the beauty around her. Instead she threw rocks into the water and sulked. She didn’t know how far she had gone from the beach, only that she needed to get as far from Launchpad as possible.

This day was easily in the top ten list of worst days in Della’s life. As if being surrounded by fish, crashing a submarine, getting stranded on a desert island, and meeting Launchpad’s mermaid ex-girlfriend weren’t bad enough, Launchpad had to go and break her heart. He couldn’t even look her in the eye or give her a straight answer when she asked how he really felt about her. 

But Della wasn’t just angry at Launchpad. She was angry at herself, too. She couldn’t stop thinking of the pained look on his face when she had lost her temper with him. Like a kicked puppy caught in the rain. At the time she had been so angry with him for hurting her that all she wanted to do was hurt him back. The fleeting sense of satisfaction wasn’t worth it. All she felt now was regret.

She glared at her reflection in the surface of the lagoon. On the moon she had developed a habit of talking to herself because there was no one else to talk to. In moments of high stress the reflection seemed to take on a life of its own and give voice to her innermost fears.

“You’re an idiot, Della Duck,” the reflection said with a sneer. “Look at the mess you got yourself into this time.” 

“Shut up,” Della growled back. 

“Just admit it,” the reflection went on. “You fell in love with the wrong guy again.”

Della paced back and forth like a caged animal. “Shut up.”

“What did you expect? Did you really think Launchpad was going to throw away his freedom for you?”

“Shut up.”

“He can’t be tied down. He doesn't want you. Not like you want him.”

“Shut up!” Della shouted. “I don’t have to listen to you! You’re just a dumb reflection!”

The reflection sneered at her. “You can’t get rid of me. I’m the voice of your subconscious doubts and fears. I’ll always be with you.”

Della had had enough. She grabbed the biggest rock she could find, picked it up with both hands, and hurled it into the lagoon with an angry grunt. It hit the water with a loud  _ bloosh _ and reduced the reflection to a spray of water droplets.

“Hah!” Della gloated. “Not so chatty anymore, are ya?!”

She stood panting from the effort, hands shaking and face red. Then she heard a twig snap behind her. She spun around and saw Launchpad standing a few feet away from her. He had his arms behind his back and a frightened look on his face.

He grinned crookedly. “Um, hiya, Del-...Miss Dee! ” He was back to calling her ‘Miss’ instead of Della. “Is someone else here? Who were you talking to?

Della narrowed her eyes at him. “No one. What are you doing here? I told you to leave me alone.”

After some fidgeting he pulled his arms out behind his back, revealing a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He had painstakingly picked an arrangement of hibiscus, plumeria, and elder blossoms in shades of pink, yellow, orange, and red. “I-I wanted to give you these. Can we talk?”

Della stared at the flowers in surprise. It had been years since anyone brought her flowers. It was such an unexpectedly thoughtful and romantic gesture, and yet a perfectly Launchpad thing to do. But she said nothing.

Launchpad took her silence as permission for him to talk. He cleared his throat and proceeded to stammer and ramble. “Uh… See, the thing is...Miss Dee, you’re really awesome, and…and… Well, what I mean is…Wow, it’s hot out here. Are you hot? I’m melting over here.”

She frowned and placed her hands on her hips. “Get to the point, McQuack.”

He cleared his throat. “The point is…Love is like piloting. When you’re up there in the sky everything seems perfect, but something always goes wrong and it ends in a fiery crash. Still, no matter how banged up your heart gets, you gotta keep getting back in the air again.” He paused. “Wait, what was I talking about?”

Della rolled her eyes and groaned. “You were rambling,” she said dryly.

Launchpad frowned. “Rambling about what?”

“Love. Flying. Lots of metaphors.”

“Oh! Right, right, I remember now.” He cleared his throat again. “Miss Dee, even if this doesn’t last long and it ends in a fiery crash, I still want to be with you. You’ve taught me how to fly a plane without crashing it. So...maybe that means we’ve got something special.”

Della’s heart jumped inside her ribcage. The shock of hearing Launchpad admit these feelings for her stunned her into silence. Heat filled her stomach and rushed to her cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me all this earlier?”

He bowed his head sheepishly. “I got scared. None of my other relationships have lasted very long. Take Oceanika. We got along great and we had so much fun together. I really thought she was the one, but in the end we were just too different. Also her family hates all land folk, thanks to the evil pirate guy who stole their most precious treasure three hundred years ago.”

She sighed and raked her fingers through her bangs. “L.P., you’re rambling again.”

Launchpad got down on one knee and raised the bouquet in front of him. “The point is, I like you, Della Duck. I like you a lot. Maybe it’s love, maybe it’s not, but either way I’m serious about you.”

Della gazed at him in silence a bit longer. There was so much sincerity in Launchpad’s words, and his heart was in his eyes. Everything he said to her was exactly what she had hoped he would say. 

“Wow,” she said at last. “You really feel that way about me?”

“I’ve felt like this the whole time I’ve known you,” Launchpad said honestly.”

She stepped closer and rested her hands on top of his, enjoying their size and warmth and roughness. She felt him tremble at her touch and heard him gulp down a lump in his throat. Then he loosened his fists, allowing her to take the bouquet from him.

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile. 

Della took a deep breath of the flowers’ sweet scent. Then, before Launchpad could say anything else, she flung her small arms around his big neck and hugged him tight. As she rested her chin on his shoulder and smelled his wet smells, she felt serenity wash over her. He smiled with relief and hugged her back without a second thought. It felt so right to hold each other like this again. Their cold, damp bodies grew warmer as they pressed together. 

Then Della’s smile faded. Things weren’t perfect just yet. “I owe you an apology. I’ve been a huge jerk today.”

Launchpad frowned. “What? You? No, of course not!”

Della shook her head. “Yes, I was. I’ve been trying to learn how to control my temper for my kids, but that’s not enough. I need to do that with you, too. I can’t keep hurting people I care about.”

Launchpad smiled bashfully. “Hehe. You care about me.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Then her brows crinkled with worry. There was more she needed to say. “And speaking of the kids, there’s something I need to tell you. They’re onto us. They were asking me all kinds of questions today.” 

Launchpad’s face went pale and his eyes bulged. He pulled away to look her in the face. “They did? What did you tell them?” He gripped her shoulders in distress. “You didn’t say we were sex buddies, did you? Did you have to give them The Talk?!”

“No!” Della cried. “Of course not! I didn’t tell them anything! But they suspect something, and I promised to tell them that we’re...that we’re a thing.”

Launchpad bit his nails anxiously. “Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. This is bad. Mr. McDee is onto us, too. He threatened me in the limo today! He said if I ever did anything to hurt you, he’d do something terrible!”

“He what?!” Della exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I don’t know!” Launchpad clutched at his skull and crouched on the ground in a ball to protect himself. “I had a lot on my mind today, okay?! If he kills me, give all my Darkwing Duck comics to Dewey!”

Della groaned and grabbed his shoulders. “Hey, hey! Calm down, L.P.! It's gonna be okay!”

“How?” He looked back at her with fear in his eyes. “How do you know it’s gonna be okay?”

She hesitated. “I don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “This all got super weird.”

“Yeah,” Launchpad agreed. “So what happens now?”

Della sat down beside him and shrugged. “What else can we do? We fix the sub. We go home. And we tell everyone the truth.”

He sighed. “Guess that means the fun’s over.”

A gloomy silence fell over them. Normally going home was something they looked forward to. For once it was something they both dreaded. It meant confrontations, uncomfortable conversations, arguments, hurt feelings, and possibly never seeing each other again. The worst part was there was no one to blame but themselves. They had gotten into this mess through their own foolish choices.

Well, if this was their last chance to be together, they had to make the most of it.

Della turned to Launchpad. “Wanna get laid?”

His eyes lit up. “Really? Right here and now?”

She put a hand on his bicep and smiled. “Yes, right here and now. We might not get another chance once we’re in Duckburg. So if this is our last chance, let’s make it count.”

He smiled warmly and brought his face in close to hers. Their beaks hovered an inch apart as he murmured softly “I was hoping you’d say that all day.”

His deep voice filled the pit of her stomach with warmth. Then they kissed and that warmth became an intense heat. It had been less than a day since they shared their last kiss, yet it felt like an eternity. They had missed each other’s tastes and smells and the heat of their bodies pressing together. The scent of tropical flowers was everywhere.

The floodgates were open. They had both tried their best to restrain themselves all day, but it was just too much. Della pushed him back onto the ground, her kisses turning fierce and possessive. Launchpad gave no resistance at all and even blushed and giggled at her forwardness. He welcomed her intensity and hugged her little body tightly against his. While his right hand groped her butt she bit his lower lip, making him groan and shudder.

“I missed you, too, babe,” she murmured back.

He giggled again. “You called me babe.”

* * *

For the next several hours Della and Launchpad rutted in the jungle like wild animals. They didn’t stop until it was almost sundown. They stopped long enough to find food, and then went right back to it. By the time they finished they were both naked, sweaty, and covered in sand and dirt. Launchpad spread his jacket over Della like a blanket while she rested on his chest. He lazily preened her hair with his beak while she threaded her fingers through the short, fluffy feathers on his chest.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms, finally at peace after all their troubles. However their troubles were far from over. When morning came they were awakened by gruff voices and hard poles poking them in the ribs. When they opened their eyes they saw four ducks standing over them, dressed in shiny helmets and armor and wielding harpoon-like weapons.

“Get up, land-dwellers,” said one of the mysterious warriors. “On your feet.”

Della sat bolt upright, covered only in Launchpad’s jacket. “Land-dwellers? Wait a minute. Are you guys merducks?”

“You catch on quick,” said a second warrior. “We are Queen Marina the XV’s royal guards.”

Launchpad also sat up and gulped. He had seen armed merducks like these before. Something must have gone horribly wrong when Oceanika took the Pearl of Wisdom home. “Are we in trouble?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” a third guard said. “The royal family is waiting for you on the beach.”

* * *

_ To be continued... _


End file.
